


Obedience

by NearlyThornless



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Boot Camp, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Omega Eren Yeager, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-05-30 07:58:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 90,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15092501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NearlyThornless/pseuds/NearlyThornless
Summary: Finding a mate for their son proves to be quite the challenge.Too much of a challenge for the family Jäger to handle; that's why they decide to let someone more experienced help their son.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There'll be all sorts of morally questionable situations in this story, so feel warned. Although I'll try my best not to make it too dark.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy!

Omegas are supposed to be quiet. They aren't supposed to cause much trouble for their alphas or make a scene when the one they are promised to wants to touch or use them in one way or another. The ones that are naturally submissive are clearly much easier to find partners for; it only becomes a problem when there is, despite various attempts at improving a teenager's attitude, an omega that refuses to obey these mostly unspoken laws. Surviving by yourself is nearly impossible since giving omegas important jobs (if any at all) is highly frowned upon. People believe that they aren't able to handle the responsibility of having a job; too emotional and unstable. A distraction for the alphas much rather than a valuable employee.

In short, they want nothing but a house slave to abuse. Completely dependent on them, in the best case. 

And Eren refuses to have any of that. Being in the position of one of the rare male omegas as well as a rebel by nature, he's never had it easy. His parents are becoming desperate quickly, seeing the time pass. Despite the fact that he is quickly nearing his 17th birthday, his parents haven't been successful in finding him a partner yet. Thanks to his mother they have been trying to give him somewhat of a chance to influence their final decision for a mate, and although Eren wishes he could say that he is thankful for that, it would be a total lie. 

Eren would be thankful if he wasn't forced into a partnership with anyone, and that's the problem. 

That's why he has been causing more and more trouble for his parents, deliberately making himself appear unappealing to potential candidates; failing at school and acting like a 12 year old in many ways. Whatever means he can use to prolong the process, he will use. That's what he tells himself. If there's one thing the omega isn't, then it's weak willed, quite the opposite actually. He's made up his mind not to take a mate, and therefore it won't happen, even if he isn't sure yet how to pull it off in the end. His most recent choice of acting like a rebellious kid seems to work out quite well so far, or that's what he thinks - up until the point where he comes home too late once again, having deliberately missed the appointment his parents have made for him, and his father greets him with three words only. 

"Eren. Kitchen, now." 

Three innocent words that already make Eren's chest feel a little tight. Perhaps it's thanks to the pheromones of his father, or the annoyance radiating off him. An alpha's smell that, in this moment, is clearly supposed to dominate that of an omega, and that in itself is enough for the boy to open his mouth, "are you being serious? That stench isn't fucking needed, it's not like I'm going to run away or anything." 

"You've said that before and then you did run away for a night afterwards. I'm not in the mood to play games, Eren. Come with me, now." 

As he says that, his large hand wraps around the boy's tanned wrist, trying to pull him along, and earning himself a slap in the process. As a reaction to it, he grabs Eren again, the grip tighter this time, and pulls him into the kitchen more carelessly, no more words exchanged. 

In the kitchen, there sit his mother and his sister, both looking uncomfortable for whatever reason. Perhaps it's due to the harsh way the brunette is being pulled into the room, but he can't say for sure whether that's the reason behind it. They could also be mad that he wasn't there early enough to meet whatever guy they have dragged into the house this time.

"What is this? Some kind of family discussion about why I don't want a fucking owner? Again?" he asks, sounding sarcastic to the point where he knows it's annoying his father further.

"Eren, we're not looking for an owner, we're looking for a husband for you. Now sit down, your mother and I have made a choice concerning the matter." 

The air inside the usually comfortable kitchen seems heavy, and maybe that's why Eren indeed sits down, looking defiant with his head resting on the back of his palm, and his eyes focused on the colorful array of flowers on the desk much rather than his family members. 

The omega's recent behavior has been causing all sorts of problems for the family, and that's the part Eren likes the least about it. In the end, it's not enough of a reason for him to stop fighting for his freedom though. 

"Yeah sure," he says and fumbles around with a small white flower in the vase. 

"Could you at least look me in the eye while I'm speaking to you?" his father asks, and Eren can tell that his anger is growing by the minute. The entire room smells like a pissed off alpha, and it's hard to even breathe in there, but Eren isn't going to back down; no chance in hell. 

"Could you just get on with it? I'm kind of tired, and I want to go to my room." 

"Eren, don't be like that towards your father," his mother chides him, and he can tell that she's affected by the smell of anger inside this room just as he is. Mikasa is luckier than him; she's actually an alpha and therefore won't have her whole life story dictated by other people. 

He won't either though, not if he can help it. 

"Fine, then. Your mother and I have made a decision. The way you've been acting ever since your 16th birthday, that's nothing we will accept any longer. We've tried to talk this out, but since you refuse to fulfill your end of the agreements and still act hostile towards each and every alpha we find, we're going to give you the help you need. Understand that this is for your own good." 

Upon hearing those words, Eren's attention leaves the flowers, and he turns towards his father with mistrust in his eyes. "What do you mean? I don't need any sort of help, maybe you need some help if you think that forcing me into a marriage is a solution to all my damn problems!" 

After he raises his voice, it's quiet in the kitchen for about ten seconds, before Grisha speaks up again, "Your behaviour speaks for itself. You're acting like a child, throwing a tantrum because this world doesn't work in the way you want it to. Tomorrow morning, we're going to drive you towards someone who's specialised in helping aggressive and problematic omegas. This is not up for discussion, it's our final decision." 

An uncomfortable feeling of anxiety fills Eren's body as he hears those words, and he's not sure what this really means. 

"You're sending me to a therapist? As if that shit has ever really helped anyone. It's just a lot of money wasted on useless 30 minute sessions," he says, sounding far more confident than he is feeling somehow. 

"This isn't a 30 minutes thing, Eren. You're staying there until you're ready to find yourself an alpha. You'll learn to behave like a proper omega there, something we haven't been successful in teaching you. As for how long it will take, let's just say anything from a week up to a few months. We've found you one of the best alphas of the organisation to teach you."

"No. This isn't happening, I refuse to go there. Mom? Did you really agree to this idea?" he turns towards his mother, giving her his best puppy eyes, and the brunette woman apparently has to look away because she seems to indeed feel somewhat guilty for forcing this upon her only son. 

Mikasa only sits there with a blank stare, although Eren imagines a hint of pity in her gaze. That's the last thing he wants though, to be looked at like he was supposed to be pitied.

"You guys are joking, right? You're just going to give me to some stranger? If you think that I'll magically become another person, then guess what, you're wrong!" 

"Eren, you're going there, and you're going to do your best to try and learn how to be less defiant all the damn time. You don't have a choice in this." 

The water collecting in his eyes is threatening to fall down in heavy tears, and that's why Eren jumps up from his seat, kicking the chair he was sitting on to the ground in the process, and earning himself what is sure the end up a bruise. Anger and frustration are completely clouding his system, making it hard to keep himself from throwing insults around in defense. 

"I'm not going there. I refuse to," he screams once more before storming off into his own room, locking the door behind himself the instant he's in there. That's when the tears start to flow freely, but he ends up falling asleep on the floor after about an hour of crying silently once his body is exhausted from the mixture of emotions inside him.

'I never wanted any of this, why do I have to go through this,' is the last question Eren asks himself before he fades out of consciousness and into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter, thanks for the kudos and comments and everything! it means a lot. 
> 
> Eren will finallt meet Levi in the next chapter (:

Eren doesn't enjoy being awoken by an alarm, but he isn't a fan of waking up to the sound of fists banging against his door either. The pain in his back doesn't quite help his mood; he spent the night sleeping on the ground, and he feels like it, certainly. 

"I'm awake already, stop making so much noise!" he screams, standing up and rubbing his head. A yawn leaves his mouth, and he feels like sleeping for another 7 hours, but that's apparently impossible today and will be for a while. Because he's slowly waking up mentally, and the realisation of what's going to happen today is like a slap in the face first thing in the morning. 

Today is the day his parents are crossing a line. He feels like a dog that is being given to a trainer in order to make him behave. It is the same concept, with one difference only. He isn't a pet, but an actual person with both his own feelings and thoughts. 

That's something society doesn't see though. All the pain and suffering that is being caused for the sake of keeping the old system intact and denying omegas the rights that other people are born with. It isn't real justice, not even close to it.

"Get ready and pack some clothes and a toothbrush, we're leaving in half an hour," his father says in a strict tone, apparently already on his way away from the door. Lately, he's been using this 'you have to do as I say' voice an awful lot. 

Eren briefly considers refusing to open the door at all, but he knows that they'll manage to open it eventually, by force if they have to. His parents have become stricter in that sense, too. There are actual consequences for the things he does, and he's slowly getting used to that, although he much preferred it when their threats were empty, and all he got as punishment was a lecture. 

That's called growing up, apparently.

"Fine," he spits the word out like a used gum, and pulls himself up, walking towards the mirror. He looks even worse than he feels, and decides that he needs a shower before he leaves, definitely. Eren is lucky enough to have a private bathroom right beside his bedroom, and it's mainly because of his heats. During that time of the month, sharing a bathroom with his sister would be a horrible idea, mainly because he could never guarantee that she wouldn't walk in on something she definitely doesn't want to see. In that blur of hormones locking a door isn't exactly on the forefront of anyone's mind, really. 

After two really embarrassing incidents, he switched rooms with his parents last year and therefore he now has his own private bath close-by. 

Before Eren hops into the shower though, he makes sure to pack some clothes and the most important things he can think of into a bag. In a way, he'd love to pack nothing at all and chain himself to his bed, refusing to leave the house. Logically though, his parents could potentially send him there without the things he's going to need if he cannot escape before it's too late and ends up stuck with some guy for a few weeks. 

That thought is quite unwelcome though, because he doesn't even want to find out what kind of alpha idiot 'trains omegas'. No, thanks. 

Most likely a complete asshole.

As he steps out of his clothes, walking into the cold stream of water only to take a step back and wait for it to warm up, Eren's thoughts get caught in somewhat of a downward spiral. He feels uncomfortable thinking about the fact that he'll be spending time with an alpha, a stranger. 

He feels betrayed because he doesn't understand how his parents could possibly put him in a situation such as this. 

The warm water doesn't really help him relax, but he keeps standing underneath it nonetheless, needing the warmth somehow.

It isn't like him to not really have a backup plan in a situation such as this, but he has a feeling that sneaking away now would only make his parents more angry and his stay at the stranger's house or wherever longer. If this whole thing even happens in a normal house; he hopes more than anything, that it's not going to be some sort of therapy clinic. That would be horrible. 

Half an hour passes like it's no time at all, and Eren doesn't really have the time to comb his hair after his shower, but at least he's clean and somewhat awake. 

He can already hear the footsteps coming closer toward his room and opens it the moment his father raises his fist to knock. 

"Come on, we're leaving. Apparently he is really concerned with punctuality." 

"It's not like I really care what he's concerned with or not," he says quietly as he walks past his father, who apparently doesn't hear him. 

Mikasa waves Eren goodbye at the door, and his mother throws her arms around him in a crushing hug, sounding like she's about to start crying, "this is for your own sake, you'll have it easier if you learn to behave properly. We'll all have it easier." 

Eren doesn't really know how to respond to that, still feeling like he's been stabbed in the back by his family. 

"Goodbye, mom," are the only words he answers with, before turning around and giving his father a death stare as he waits for him to open the door. Eren is sure that despite his earlier shower, he already smells like a nervous wreck again. Or rather than that, a nervous omega. 

His father apparently notices as he sits down on the driver's seat, opening a window just seconds later. 

"Eren you know that we are doing this for-" 

"Yeah, for me. I get it. I don't want to talk about it, I'm not in the mood," he says, sounding hollow, tired even. This whole situation isn't entirely real to him yet, it feels more like a bad dream in a sense. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so insistent on creating conflict all the damn time, but it's too late for changing that now, isn't it? 

It takes them more than one hour that Eren spends staring out of the window and trying not to concentrate too much on the songs in the radio that annoy him anyway. It becomes clear during the ride that they're moving further away, passing through various cities that Eren has never even heard of. The feeling of anxiousness only seems to grow, and the lack of a breakfast only further serves to make him feel nauseous. 

Eren really doesn't want to be sent too this thing, far away from all the smells he was used to and all his friends. 

At least he does get some time away from his family out of it, but that doesn't exactly make this worth it. His forehead is pressed against the cold window, and his tired eyes barely register it when the movement of their car suddenly comes to a stop. 'We're here,' Eren thinks, and he instantly analyses the house they've parked in front of. It's an old brick building, so big that it almost appears like a school. Perhaps more of a boarding school. The trees in front of it look a bit too perfectly cut and the sign on the front side of the house reads 'Psychotherapy and Obedience Training'. 

Eren instantly hates the way that sounds. 

"I thought this wasn't a fucking therapist? So this is it? You're essentially sending me into a mental institution? Thank you, dad, thanks for nothing at all!" he half screams, sarcasm evident in his voice at the last part. 

"Eren, those are people who have studied omegas for years, and they have an amazing reputation when it comes to helping troublesome omegas, as well as betas and alphas. I wish it didn't have to be like this, but you didn't leave us with much of a choice." 

"I didn't leave you with much of a choice? Do you even think before you speak, if anyone is not allowed to make choices here, then it's me. I just don't want a stupid alpha in my life, and I don't want to be an appealing mate or whatever, I just want to live my own life," Eren screams right back at him, and a sudden panic invades his body. 

He means what he's saying, but there are things he's not saying... there's more than just anger. 

He doesn't tell his father that he's afraid. Afraid because he has no idea what will happen to him here, and he definitely doesn't want to be touched or humiliated by whoever is going to 'help' him. Knowing the way that alphas view omegas though, it would certainly be a miracle if he was going to be treated properly and with respect.

Eren might be a bit naive, but he isn't that far gone. 

"You know that that's out of the question though. I'm tired of fighting with you, it's slowly taking its toll on the whole family. Let's just get this over with," Eren's father says, and opens the door to get out. His eyes stay on the omega though, as if he expects something to happen.

"No. Fuck this, you're taking me back home! You can't do this, dad!" Eren screams because he knows that once he opens the door and leaves the car, this is truly final. Real. Actually happening. 

He smells his father's frustration radiating off the man just a second later, and that's when Eren knows he has fucked up. The alpha opens the door on Eren's side just a moment later, literally pulling the brunette out of the car and dragging him into the door with the sign on it. 

It all happens so fast, and Eren barely registers that he's now inside that building. So far, he can tell that it's clean, mostly grey and definitely not too welcoming. 

Through the window he can see that there's a lot more space than the view from the front shows. Tall trees are arranged in a little forest, with some smaller houses, some of them pretty deep in the forest. It looks almost peaceful out there, way better than the inside of this either way. 

There's a reception in the right corner, where a red haired woman is busy searching her folders for some document apparently. Eren almost stumbles over his own feet, his father's hand still around his arm and pulling not too gently, Eren's backpack in his other hand. Luckily, there are no other people in here besides her. Although this is already embarrassing enough to Eren; he doesn't exactly like the idea that this is the first impression he makes on the people in here, but his anger is still evident, and he's honestly not in the mood to apologise to his father. 

"Good Morning, my name is Grisha Jäger," the man says and Eren hates how nicely he talks to her because he knows that it's fake; his father wants to leave as fast as possible, and Eren is going to stay here. Alone.

"Good morning Mr Jäger,"the receptionist greets him, "My name is Petra Ral. I belive we talked about your son last week on the phone. It's great that you're here so early, Eren needs to shower before anything, we have to be a bit careful about letting people carry too many scents inside. Then, we'll test if the person we have in mind for him agrees to work with him. Otherwise, Erwin himself will help your son." 

Eren wants to say something. He wants to explain that he just showered an hour ago and that he doesn't need to be here anyway. But somehow, he ends up keeping that to himself, and their conversation carries on as if he isn't even in the room. 

"I trust you will find the right person to help him, Eren isn't a bad boy, but he really needs to change his attitude towards alphas or else his future will be one long struggle I'm afraid.. Is there anything else that needs to be done?" 

"All the papers are signed and we've talked about the details, I've got it all written down. Essentially, we're finished. Of course you can call anytime if anything is unclear. Parents or friends aren't allowed behind that glass door however, therefore you can say your goodbyes now before I call someone to show Eren the different buildings and explain some basic rules," Petra says like she's had this particular conversation a thousand times or more. Eren can't imagine working in a setting such as this, he'd inevitably end up bored to death. 

"Alright then," his father says, and turns towards the omega, "Behave while you're here, and we'll see each other in a few weeks." 

"Yeah, hopefully," Eren mumbles, grabbing his backpack from the other's hand and not looking him in the eyes once before turning around and stepping towards Petra. 

He hears his father's steps as they become quieter, and once he's out of the room, Petra starts speaking into her cellphone. "Our new omega patient just arrived. Do you have the time to show him around?" 

The answer is too quiet to be heard, but apparently whoever she called agreed, because the next thing the woman says is, "Thank you so much, Christa. You're an angel." And then, the conversation is over and Petra's eyes meet Eren's. 

"She'll be here in two minutes or so. How are you feeling Eren? I know that many people find the thought of coming here very scary, but it's not so bad if you work with the others and not against them," she says in that gentle voice of hers and although she doesn't mention it, Eren is sure that she asked him that simply because he smells like fear, and uncertainty. Petra's own scent is surprisingly non-existent almost, but as far as Eren can tell she's a beta. Perhaps that's the exact reason why she doesn't seem to have an intense smell surrounding her.

"I'm not scared," he argues, and crosses his arms in front of his chest, "I just don't want to be here. I don't need to." 

"Your father said that you were kicked out of school? And that you got rid of every potential partner they could find for you. So perhaps staying here for a while will help you, it's only for your own good." 

Eren hates that sentence. Everyone keeps saying that they want what's best for him, but no one opens their eyes wide enough to see that what's best for others perhaps isn't the best for him. 

"I don't see how forcing someone into something they don't want can be a good thing," Eren tells her, his tone somewhat annoyed although she's essentially a stranger.

"Oh believe me, sometimes it is. Although it's not comfortable, sometimes it's necessary." 

Thankfully, in that moment a small, blonde girl enters the room with a friendly expression on her face, and the uncomfortable conversation is over. 

"Hello! You're Eren, right? My name is Christa and I'm going to show you around the building and introduce you to some places. Do you have everything you need?" 

That girl is definitely an omega, and it's so easy to tell that it's almost funny. Both her smell and her appearance are soft, and she's an example for how caring and friendly some omegas can sound.

Eren instantly feels more comfortable with her than he does with Petra, and he's more than glad that the first person he'll really interact with here is going to be an omega and not an unknown alpha. At least it's a bit of a relief. 

"I have everything here." 

"Well then, come on. Follow me." And that's what Eren does. 

"This bigger building we're in right now is where the different therapy rooms are. Things like art and music therapy. Group therapy, too. Although I must say that you won't be spending too much time here probably, since this is usually where alphas or omegas with depression, anxiety or other issues of that sort end up. There are mainly therapists working in this part, that's what this institution originally was. An asylum for young people so to speak." 

Eren nods, although he isn't sure he's really absorbing all of the information raining down on him. The two of them pass through a quiet hallway, to the door that leads outside, and that's where Christa starts talking again. 

"Over there is where you'll be spending most of your time. Each of those small houses here are meant for training. Mainly, we have omegas here, although there are also cases where alphas are going too far and need to learn how to become more responsible. Each of the trainers has studied both psychology and is specialised in one certain secondary gender. They're all strict, but also fair. You'll see that for yourself though. Depending on who you end up with, you'll be either alone with him or her in the house or there'll be another omega in the household." 

When he hears this, Eren is torn between not wanting another omega in there, and doing exactly that. He cannot even tell which option sounds worse. The only reason he doesn't let his annoyance show is because he doesn't want to be mean to the blonde girl. 

"But first off, I'll show you where the showers are. You'll also be supplied with a uniform. Are you coming?" She asks, walking surprisingly fast with her short legs, and leading Eren towards one of the houses that stands beside an old oak tree. 

"This is where we shower and wash our clothes. The laundry room is in the cellar, and the showers for the omegas are on the first floor, while those for the alphas and betas are down here. Here's the key to your locker, there are towels and clothes to wear in there. I'll wait outside." 

Eren takes the key from her hand, and it takes a second until he asks, "wait? I'm not allowed to wear my own clothes?" 

Christa gives him a shy smile, "nope, I'm sorry. It's easier this way, less fights that have to do with clothing choices. The uniforms aren't that bad either." That's highly doubtable in the brunette's opinion, but he dejectedly walks up the old stairs towards the shower room, his eyes busy taking it all in. His impression hasn't changed much so far, he still finds the rooms clean, but not quite comfortable. The showers are no exception. At least his locker is pretty big, and he takes two towels and all the clothes, placing them on a small bench in the room. There's a bottle of shampoo, too.

As Eren steps underneath the stream, he's grateful that there aren't too many people around at this time of the day, which means that he has the showers to himself. 

He cleans himself thoroughly, although it's not like he's even dirty. The omega does notice however, that he doesn't smell like his home or anyone he knows anymore. It's a strange feeling, being so disconnected from his usual daily routine, and the more he thinks about it, the more obvious the lack of familiarity becomes. 

Although he wishes he wasn't, Eren is indeed an omega, and that means that sometimes, his moods are indeed really hard to control. Perhaps this is why he starts crying, or at least realises that he started at some point. As if fate is mocking him, the water picks this exact moment to turn ice cold suddenly, and a shocked noise escapes his mouth. 

"Fucking hell," Eren screams at no one in particular as he grabs the towels and dries his body, his eyes still teary and his hands shaking. 

There's only one thing he knows with certainty. He's not looking forward to meeting his 'trainer', not at all. But sadly that doesn't prevent the clock from ticking and although he takes a while to dry his skin, waiting until he isn't quite as emotionally charged anymore, he eventually needs to slip on the clothes that he really doesn't want to wear. The outfit consists of black shorts and a dark green shirt, and Eren wears them with his black chucks. His hair is as messy as always, but he looks pale and tired. 

"Oh, so the clothes are the right size. Perfect," Christa greets him, smiling brightly, "let's take you to the house you'll be staying at." 

"Uh, weren't you saying that it isn't so sure yet with whom I'm going to stay? Shouldn't those things be arranged before I get here?" Eren asks her, finding the whole thing a bit weird. 

"Well, it's never that easy. Since this job requires you to work together with someone, it's crucial that we find the right person for each patient." 

"But it'll be an alpha, won't it?" he asks with a hint of bitterness in his voice. 

"Yeah, that's kind of the point when it comes to omegas that have a problem with alphas. Don't worry though, it'll be alright. I'm sure of that." 

As they come closer to the house on the furthest corner however, Eren is once again overcome by a strange sort of fear that only seems to grow with each step they make in the direction of where he will spend his next weeks and the person he'll be sharing that place with. 

He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, telling himself that Christa is right, that this won't be as bad as he's convinced it'll be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much to everyone who reads this! here's another chapter (:

The heavy wooden door opens with a noise that resembles a pained moan, and Christa is in front of Eren, having just unlocked the door and now stepping inside. The omega isn't sure what he expects, or who to expect, and it takes him a moment to gather his thoughts, swallow his fear and step inside behind her with wide eyes and a tight grip on his backpack. 

"You'll need to take your shoes off or he might just murder you. He should be here in about five minutes I think, you were here earlier than we expected." 

Eren is only half listening. The first thing he realises as he enters the building is the intense smell. 

It makes him want to turn around and run right out of that building. The whole apartment smells like an alpha, although one can tell that it isn't due to a lack of cleaning. It's just naturally that strong. The smell is hard to make sense of; it's manly and somewhat rough, but there's something else, something Eren cannot find a word for apparently. Either way, it's too much. Like falling face first into a bathtub full of perfume. That's how intense it seems, and Eren can tell that he's extremely aware of his surroundings; that's what the pheromones do to his body, and he detests it with a passion. 

He absent-mindedly takes his shoes off, and pushes them in the corner, wondering how he's supposed to even stay in here with this scent that's more than suffocating. Hell, he's sure that just from stepping in here, it probably already clings to him and all his things. 

Eren cannot really imagine who a smell like that could possibly belong to, but he would guess that it's probably some tall, threatening person with too many muscles and an even bigger ego. Now more than ever, he isn't looking forward to this meeting at all. 

Letting his eyes analyse the interior again, it becomes painfully obvious that whoever lives in here considers cleaning more important than adding personal touches to a living space. There aren't many photos or other personal things, and that means that Eren can hardly find any clues about the alpha's personality. There are some books, but none that Eren has ever read are among them, and the boy's throat feels somewhat dry, the heavy scent almost like a flavor on his tongue as he fills his lungs with more of the air that's full of pheromones. 

Christa doesn't seem to have much of a problem being in here, but then again, she's probably just used to it by now.

 

"What kind of person is he?" Eren finds himself asking, although he wanted to keep his curiosity to himself originally, but he needs something- a bit of information to help him fight the fear rising in his body once more. 

Christa seems surprised at his question for a second, but she then gives him a small smile. "The strictest teacher we have here, to be honest. But also the one who hasn't once failed to teach an omega how to behave. He's quite good at his job, I'm sure you'll get along somehow." 

The mental image of a tall, strict and aggressive alpha that is being described as the most successful teacher here is enough for Eren to feel challenged somehow. He'll be the first one that guy won't be able to 'cure' as far as he's concerned. 

"What's his name by the way?" Eben asks, suddenly wondering why no one has told him that yet. 

"Uh well you see, I cannot-"

In that moment, there's a noise at the door and Eren jumps like a frightened animal, turning towards it instantly and taking a step backwards then. He cannot really keep himself from showing that he's nervous, although he wants to establish right away that he's not going to bow to him or whatever they expect him to do. 

Eren's eyes are focused on the opening door, and he's holding his breath, tense in a way he cannot recall he ever felt. Or well, perhaps that isn't true, but there's a lot of tension in his body still.

Either way, it's almost like everything is happening in slow motion, and yet it happens so suddenly. The man at the door is simultaneously the opposite and the definition of everything Eren has imagined him to be. He does look threatening, untouchable in a sense; a person with a presence that's definitely of the intense sort. His skin is incredibly pale, and perhaps that's why the dark shadows underneath the silver eyes are this noticeable. The face is framed with dark hair that he wears in an undercut, and although Eren hates to admit it, the haircut compliments his sharp features and small, stormy eyes nicely. Despite all of those features, there's one detail about him that Eren didn't expect. He's small. Not overly thin or without muscles, but small in size, probably barely reaching Eren's shoulders with his head.

And then, there's that smell. Something about it seems to make Eren feel unusually stressed. The man enters the room like a storm cloud, and the air almost becomes foggy in a sense.

Apparently, the man already expected him and the blonde to be in here because he doesn't look surprised in the least, staring Eren right in the eyes with the most unimpressed look Eren has seen on anyone's face so far. It feels like a million alarms are going off in Eren's head, and he cannot stand that look at all. He feels like he's going to be shouted at, somehow.

"Thanks for bringing him here, Christa," he says in an unexpectedly deep voice, not bothering to greet either of them, and it has Eren wondering, 'perhaps this is normal here, being treated like you're invisible?' 

But that doesn't mean that he likes it at all. 

"I'll go and help Petra, we have another patient coming in this morning," the blonde girl says casually, and just like that, she's already at the door. Eren doesn't call after her, although he somehow wants to. He really, really doesn't want to be alone in this room with this alpha whose name he doesn't even know and eyes so cold they could make a fire freeze, probably.

Said alpha nods his head and looks in Christa's general direction until the door of the room closes again, and only Eren and him are left. It leaves Eren feeling trapped.

"Eren," the man says, and the omega cannot help but jump at the sudden, unexpected mention of his name. He find the way it sounds said by that voice quite weird. "That's your name, right?" 

A helpless nod is the only answer Eren can force out. 

"Well, it's a shame but I won't be calling you by your name either way, you understand that, omega?"

That's when it hits Eren. Although so far, everyone has been nice to him here, he is here mainly to be prepared for his inevitable marriage someday. Apparently, this includes not even calling him by his name? Fucking hell, his worst expectations are probably going to become reality in the next weeks. 

Although Eren gets the general idea of what the other is doing, it's not like he agrees with this method in the slightest, "I have a fucking name for a reason, alright?" he snaps back at the older man before he can stop himself, and there's a brief flicker of challenge in the silver eyes. It's gone a second later, fading into a sort of annoyed and bored gaze that looks well practiced.

"Well, and I'm calling you omega for a reason. Because apparently you have trouble understanding your place, and I can guarantee that if you try to pull that shit with me, you'll regret it," he says, although his face remains bored and it's easy to see that he's not putting much energy into his threats. Yet. Eren is sure that he's a whole different story when he's really provoked, but those few words alone already have Eren feeling a sense of dread somehow. He isn't used to being around alphas that appear this authoritarian without really trying. 

"Well, what's your name?" Eren asks, trying to get away from the topic that he's supposed to just accept this stupid rule. Maybe if he's clever about it, he'll manage to make this whole thing a little more normal. 

"Sorry, kid. But you definitely haven't earned that information yet. You'll address me as alpha, and nothing other than that." 

Upon hearing those words, Eren almost starts to growl. Although those are just titles, he's sure that the alpha is acutely aware of how much Eren hates the idea of calling someone 'alpha'. That isn't something he's going to do, and if the man expects him to, he seriously has no idea at all about just how defiant Eren can become when he's being forced to do something. 

"Well, sounds to me like I just won't be talking much to you then, alpha," he spits that last word out sarcastically, to make it clear that he isn't really considering the idea of calling him that. 

"And it sounds to me like you actually think you have a say in this, which means that you're pretty naive. Or stupid, maybe both," the older of the two says in this weirdly calm tone, almost as if he's amused by their conversation, but not openly so.

That's what makes Eren even angrier. He hates the way that it makes him feel, like he's automatically superior to the man. Like he's a joke, nothing more or less. 

"Well, I'd rather be a naive omega than a stupid fucking alpha who's probably got the smallest dick in the world and therefore acts like a complete asshole just to show off his non-existent manliness!" Eren shouts, and quickly grabs his backpack from the floor, making his way over to the door with the intention of leaving this place, running away, living on the street if he has to. Without his shoes on. Anything is better than this; he doesn't need to let himself be treated in this way, and it won't happen. 

His hand is on the door handle, and he's got it opened the tiniest bit when all of a sudden, the door slams back into the frame with a loud noise, and it takes a second for Eren's brain to piece the information together. 

He turns around and although he half expected the alpha to stand there, he isn't ready at all for just how close he is to him. Eren can see it all now, each detail of that unusual face, he could count the man's lashes if he wanted to. His sharp eyes are focused on Eren's with an intensity that makes breathing even harder than it already is in here, and if it weren't for the door behind him, Eren would have probably jumped backwards only to get some space. 

There is no way for him not to notice the anger and adrenaline that's now coursing through the man's veins, it's all written out like a detailed novel in his scent that's so present, so overwhelming. 

He comes even closer, and Eren can feel the warmth radiating off his skin. 

"Listen up, kid. I'm not the one here who uses a big mouth to cover up insecurities," he hisses, "and I can assure you that my dick isn't small, if that's what you were wondering all along." 

For a moment, Eren's lips fall open and his eyes widen at this choice of words. Isn't the man supposed to be a therapist of sorts? Because that sure as hell didn't sound like a professional answer to him, but the words do their job and hit a nerve nonetheless. He's at it again, making Eren feel stupid by turning his words around and acting like he's better than the omega. 

The anger inside of Eren is like a storm, but it's coupled with something else. Surprise and shock are evident in his green eyes, and he's aware of that. It's also obvious that the alpha can see it too, and if Eren wasn't so stunned, he'd love to punch that smirk out of the raven's face. 

Somehow though, he can feel his inner omega stopping him from doing that. He's overwhelmed, unsure how to act because he isn't used to this. No one usually talks to him like that, so fucking arrogantly. People usually give up quite fast and if they don't, then Eren just leaves.

He tries to make his voice sound loud and steady, but it's not working out properly, "You don't know me! So don't fucking act like it!" 

"Oh, don't worry. I don't need to know you that well, because I've seen this a hundred times or more. I understand how omegas work, probably better than you do," the alpha tells him with that smirk still on his lips. Eren refuses to meet his eyes, but the worst thing of all is that he almost feels like what the other is saying is actually true. He does seem to understand omegas pretty well, and this might make things much harder for the boy. Nevertheless, he isn't like all those other omegas and if he has to prove that to the man, then so be it.

"Well, you won't get me to kiss your ass, so just open this door and I'm out of this insanity," Eren tries again to establish some sort of confidence inside of him through his own spoken words. 

But the door doesn't open. Instead, the alpha makes an annoyed noise.

"Did you really think I'd agree to that? You know what, this whole thing is way more amusing for me if you choose to put up a fight. It'll be more fun to finally see you following my every order in a just few days," he says conversationally, "Although with an omega as ill-behaved as you, perhaps two weeks. We'll see."

But Eren doesn't want to see. He never wants to see that sort of thing happening to him, he isn't going to bow to such an asshole of a person. 

"But for now you need to get moving, I'm showing you your room. Give me that," the raven continues on, grabbing Eren's backpack. Eren stares at his hand for a moment before he realises that his things have been taken from him, and struggles to get them back. He almost manages to grab the bag, but the alpha reacts in just a second and steps to the side, making Eren lose his balance and fall face first onto the floor. 

"Move, I don't have all day for this bullshit introduction." 

The omega makes a pained noise, although it's mostly out of frustration rather than actual, physical pain. He hates that he just humiliated himself in front of that man, and it's even worse since he's practically kneeling by his feet. What Eren doesn't expect is the hand that is being offered to him, but he doesn't consider grabbing it for a second and instead stands up by himself. At least the floor isn't dirty.

Eren once again wonders, how can someone be as insulting and unfriendly as this guy and get to work in a job like this? Alphas really do have it easier when it comes to finding jobs, he knows that. But this.. it already feels like an endless amount of fights is waiting for the two of them if they continue with this arrangement, and although Eren has something to prove, there's a bit of uncertainty inside him. A hint of fear, and it won't seem to go away.

"Come on," he says again and reaches for Eren's wrist, who pulls his arm away in shock or tries to, but the fingers wrap around his wrist easily, and hold him in place like it's nothing at all. The alpha is too damn fast, and he doesn't like it. 

Neither does he like the way his touch feels. It makes his inner omega excited for some damn reason he doesn't even dare to think about, and it makes him himself nervous. Those rough hands are warm on Eren's skin, and he bites his tongue to keep himself from saying something about it. He wouldn't be sure what to say anyway.

Instead, he keeps quiet and follows the other's fast steps through the living room an towards an area where there is a bedroom with what is apparently another one attached to it that's much smaller in size. 

They walk through the larger of the two rooms and Eren cannot help but stare at the somewhat old but expensive looking bed inside it. There's a book shelf, too. He doesn't get the time to stare for too long since he's still being dragged around and towards the back room forcibly. 

"Is this your room?" 

Eren doesn't really get an answer, and he's instead pushed on the bed when they're in the second room. "You don't need to push me around like this, you know?" he says, annoyance clear in the omega's voice once again.

"I felt like it though," the alpha answers, and the urge to hit him in the face comes back like a wave in the ocean. He continues, "On the desk, there's a folder. All the rules are in there. I expect you to read it, and to remember it. I don't like it when my rules are disregarded, you understand that, omega?" 

Eren's gaze focuses on the grey folder that's the only thing on the desk, and he stares at the alpha with a gaze that says 'are you fucking kidding me?'. 

"And since you're so keen on running away from here, the door remains locked until you've read and understood those simple rules. Call me once you do, I've got other things to do until then." 

"You're just going to lock me in here? You can't do that!" the omega eventually snaps out of it and protests, ready to jump out of the window if he needs to.

"I can do whatever I please, your parents literally signed a contract allowing me just that. Now stop whining like a damn child and do what I told you to. I expect that you're able to read?" the alpha asks him with a gaze that Eren isn't sure how to interpret. Is that man being serious? 

"Of course I can fucking read," the omega yells, but the raven is already at the door, closing it and speaking through the last bit of space left. 

"Well then, you know what to do. Have fun," he sarcastically tells Eren before the door falls into the lock and the key is turned. On the one hand, Eren is more than glad to finally be alone, but on the other hand, his body is filled with so much frustration, he'd love to punch a hole in the wall or something. He's done that before though, and ended up with a broken finger. So perhaps it's not the best idea. 

The omega instinctively turns to look for his cellphone, but his backpack is nowhere to be found and that's when it dawns on him; that asshole still has his things. He doesn't like that at all, but there's only so much you can do when you're locked into a practically empty room. 

He briefly considers doing as he was told and actually reading what's in that folder, but he quickly decides that in this moment, he doesn't have the mental clarity to read that, much less remember anything of it afterwards. 

So instead, the omega lets himself drop back onto the mattress, enjoying the softness of it compared to the floor where he spent his last night. The only thing that bugs him is the heavy scent that clings to the sheets in particular, or perhaps he's imagining that. Either way, he decided to pile them up on the floor beside the bed, and with them gone, he finds it easier to lay there.

His feelings are all over the place, frustration and panic going hand in hand, only to make way for aggression now and then. Somehow, all of this leaves him incredibly tired, and as the adrenaline from before fades, Eren doesn't even notice that he's falling asleep at all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long, life has been very messy. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reads this, I'm really happy people like this story (:

Eren is used to intense dreams by now, but as he sits by the ocean in an imaginary landscape, the whole thing almost feels real to him, and perhaps it's thanks to this that he doesn't find it easy to wake up at all. He wants to stay there just a bit longer; to look at the deep blue water without time or thoughts affecting him, just staring into the distance. Although he can tell that someone is trying to wake him up; the dream world is falling apart bit by bit. He automatically fights it, trying to hold onto sleep despite the distant words being yelled at him. But apparently, he needs to wake up. At least that's what the ice cold water that hits his face commands of him, and although he's not entirely there mentally yet, his body jolts awake in an instant. At first, the omega is entirely confused, unsure where he is, what just happened and why. 

But that state doesn't last for too long. Once he registers the intense smell of the room that's vaguely familiar by now, all the weight of his current reality comes crashing down on him. He's still here - on that damn bed, in that room. 

And the cold water that's still dripping down his face is the product of none other than the figure that he recognises as his eyes open.

"Fucking hell! What was that for," he curses, his voice rough from sleeping.

"You sure don't wake up easily. What the fuck do you think you're doing? Did I tell you to fall asleep or what? And why the hell are the bedsheets on the floor?" there's that deep voice again, and that annoyed sound is the last thing in the world Eren wants to hear right after waking up. 

He yawns, and stretches his arms, deliberately taking his time to annoy the alpha in front of him. Then, he lazily lets his eyes travel to the man's face, and tries to put up his best 'not impressed' look, although it's kind of hard with a face full of cold water that's slowly being absorbed by his shirt. There are goosebumps covering his arms, and if it weren't for the man in front of him, he'd take that damn shirt off instantly. There are more comfortable things in the world than soaked clothes right after a nap.

"I was tired, okay?" he defends himself, although he can tell that the alpha probably won't consider it a proper excuse anyway. 

"In case you haven't noticed it, there is one rule that's above all others. When I explicitly tell you to do something, then you do it. And you don't fucking fall asleep, alright?" the raven hisses, and Eren takes pride in how exhausted he sounds already. Perhaps he can do this. Maybe he'll get on the man's nerves so much that he'll just send him away, claiming he's a hopeless case. 

"In case you haven't noticed this, I'm not a child and I'm not some sort of possession or pet for you to order around," Eren tells him, "And that's why I'll sleep when I'm tired and there's nothing you can do to change that." 

"You're really starting to get on my nerves more and more, omega," the alpha says and puts an emphasis on that last word, which results in Eren staring at him with a blank expression on his tanned face. On the inside though, he feels joy upon hearing that sentence. Just knowing that he's not doing what the other expected him to is a good thing to him - it means that he's still himself, and no one's going to take that away from him. He's not giving up. If he gets on that man's nerves in the process of staying true to himself, that's just perfect. 

But the alpha doesn't stop there. "But since you're surely well rested now, you're coming with me, we have someone to meet," he explains, and turns around, as if expecting Eren to follow him instantly. Which of course, he doesn't. 

Instead, he looks around for his bag with clothes and all his things, before once again noticing that it isn't here. 

"Where did you put all my stuff?" 

"Away. You're going to live here and you're not supposed to be distracted by your cell phone all day. Also, you need to get used to the scents here and that's not going to happen if you bury yourself in your old clothes and whatever else you have in there." 

A frustrated growl is all the answer the alpha gets from Eren, who's still sitting on the bed and using his shirt to dry his face since the fabric is already wet anyway. Those colorless eyes keep turning towards the omega as he takes his time just sitting there and waking up, probably smelling pretty sour. The alpha's gaze becomes more annoyed by the second and only checking his phone for the time would have been more obvious. Impatience seems to secretly be a problem of his, and Eren will remember that.

Although he doesn't want to, he eventually decides to stand up and end this weird staring thing. The hint of a smirk that he gets in return is enough to make the boy rethink that however, and instead of heading towards the alpha, he walks towards the window, staring out at the late afternoon sun casually. He tries to ignore the buildings and the people he sees out there; but it's getting harder to pretend that this isn't going to be his room for the next few weeks.

The sun already hangs quite low in the sky, and Eren still feels tired.

He really did sleep for a while, he can tell without even looking at a clock. But contrary to the other's earlier statement, he feels in no way rested enough to face anything at all if it involves this dick of an alpha standing by the door. 

"Are you deaf? I told you to follow me, and I'm not in the mood for your bullshit, kid," he speaks as he moves closer to Eren slowly. Somehow those slow movements remind Eren of a fighter entering a battle ground. He knows, instinctively, that the alpha shouldn't be pushed past a certain point. 

It's not like him to listen to his instincts though. 

That's why he makes sure to stand proudly, with his head held high, concentrating on the fact that he's taller than that man. While that gives him a bit of confidence, it doesn't really stop his heart from hammering along with each step the alpha makes towards him. He hopes more than anything that this bit of nervousness isn't obvious in his scent, but if it is, there's no way of changing that.

Before he knows it, there's as good as no space between them anymore, and those grey eyes tell Eren exactly how much the alpha dislikes it when someone refuses to follow his commands. He can practically feel the vibrations in the air when that deep voice washes over him. 

"Okay so here's the deal. I don't feel like getting my hands dirty by punching you in the face, but don't believe that I couldn't beat the crap out of you if I wanted to. And right now, I kind of want to. So don't test my patience, alright?" 

During that speech, Eren holds his breath, refusing to breathe in that cloud of angry alpha pheromones surrounding the raven like a dark aura. There's something about that scent that makes him want to avoid it like the plague, and Eren finds it incredibly hard to pinpoint what that is. An unfamiliar edge.

Perhaps it's the sheer intensity that it carries, and that might sort of explain why the raven is apparently so good at his job. 

A scent like that automatically makes any omega in its presence feel completely overwhelmed, and if it weren't for Eren's resistant nature, he probably would have agreed and done what the other was asking of him by now or ran far away.

"As if you could even beat me," Eren counters instead, "I've fought alphas before and those were a whole lot taller than you. And stronger, I bet."

That does cause a reaction. 

"Yeah sure, and I've punched the shit out of people for talking less shit than you do, that's why I'd advice you to shut your fucking mouth, omega," he almost whispers those words in the boy's ear, suddenly very close and not even bothering to raise his voice anymore. The proximity coupled with that tone is enough for Eren to suck in a deep breath, which turns out to be a big mistake because if he though the alpha's smell was strong before, it's nothing compared to now.

That overwhelming scent fills his nose and it's as if he's breathing water, heavy and suffocating. Anger and dominance are mixed together in a poisonous cocktail, and it knocks Eren off his feet, literally. His inner omega wants him to bare his neck and show off his submissive side, the one that Eren swore to himself he will ignore until his death.

He's too close, and it's too much for him to handle. 

It's the worst thing that could possibly happen, and it takes a second until Eren realises that it did, but his legs give in the second the other's smell makes its way into his system, and damn if that isn't a scary feeling to him. He literally has no way of fighting that. Not making a pitiful sound takes an enormous amount of strength. 

It isn't completely unheard of that certain alphas can affect omegas in ways like this with just their smell, but a smell that strong is extremely rare and Eren swallows as he realises what this means. It's literally giving him half a panic attack right now and the potency of someone's smell is directly linked to both their personality and their physical condition. The alpha towering above him now isn't all talk - he's probably hiding god knows how many muscles underneath that shirt and could smash Eren's head like a watermelon if he wanted to. Which as the man said, he kind of wants to. 

It isn't exactly fear but not quite the opposite either that rises inside of Eren as he sits there on the floor, currently frozen and unable to move, all his muscles stiff. He doesn't want to be affected so easily. That never happened to him, and it isn't supposed to start happening now, especially now. He's not the type to get scared.

 

"Well, look at that. You're not so tough after all, are you? Now that this is clear, move your damn feet and follow me," the alpha says, sounding so smug that it makes the brunette feel sick.

But there isn't any answer from Eren, other than the way those turquoise eyes slowly fill with tears that refuse to fall at first. Mikasa always makes fun of his tendency to cry easily and whenever he loses, and somehow the thought of his sister, of home, is what lets the first tear fall. And then, they just continue falling, while the omega still feels like he cannot move a muscle or say a word in the presence of that man.

His future plays in front of his eyes like the saddest movie in the world. 

"Hey, are you.." the raven addresses him, his words fading as he takes a closer look at Eren, "stop crying Eren, alright?" the raven asks, but Eren is too lost in his emotions to even try and give an actual answer. Besides, the words aren't really all that comforting in the first place, just another command, although it isn't harsh like the ones before.

As usual though, the omega still doesn't exactly follow the command. He couln't stop crying on command if he wanted to. What makes this worse for him is the knowledge that the other didn't even really do anything to him, except perhaps coming a little too close and treating him like a nuisance in general, but it's not like Eren is making this easy for the alpha either.

And now the stupid tears just won't stop falling.

But it isn't like the alpha touched or hurt him. And yet, that isn't enough to just rationalise his panic away. Eren blames is on past experiences, and the general stress of the last few days - which in turn makes him think about both those things. Neither really helps his mood.

There's a change in the air that is subtle at first, and it gets stronger once the alpha whose name he still doesn't even know kneels down close to him, those eyes meeting flooded, green ones. Although Eren doesn't want to recognise it, he can tell that the alpha's scent is changing, turning into something that's almost comforting, soft. With the warm sunlight falling on that pale face, the man doesn't look quite as threatening anymore. 

It confuses him to no end, because he expected the man to make fun of him or use his weak moment to insult him further, but no insults leave those thin lips at that moment. 

"Come on kid, I know this is a lot to handle, but it'll be easier for the both of us if you just calm down and stop fighting me all the time. It's not like I'm trying to make you cry." 

It's incredibly hard to decipher the sentiment behind those words, simply because that deep voice doesn't give much away. 

"Well, but you did! It's your stupid scent! Don't come that close to me ever again, it's fucking unfair, there's nothing I can do about it!" Eren finally finds his voice and yells, overwhelmed by the inner conflict that he's experiencing. It angers him to no end that the raven can change his scent from downright toxic to calming so easily, and his inner omega wants nothing more than to feel safe at the moment after having experienced the alpha's anger just seconds ago. 

But he refuses to find safety in the alpha's suddenly relaxing scent, refuses to even consider that. 

"You're literally trying to piss me off with each word you say to me, so don't get mad when I get annoyed and smell that way," the raven says, looking like he's about to have a headache. As soon as the calming pheromones filled the air, they're gone again, replaced by a blank expression and the man's normal smell. 

It's almost like he never tried to calm Eren down at all.

But he did try, and the omega wipes furiously at his eyes, glad to find that the tears have stopped falling, and ready to collect himself now that the initial panic is gone.

"You didn't just smell annoyed, you smelled like you were ready to fucking kill me," the boy defends himself, although embarrassment is starting to take its toll on him. Emotional stability isn't exactly something many omegas are blessed with, and Eren is proof of that just now with his red eyes and shaky legs.

"I'm not in the habit of killing my clients," the alpha says, "and besides, we have somewhere to be. Can you stand up now?" An outstretched hand waits for Eren to take it, but the omega refuses, pushing himself up with quite a bit of effort. It would be a lie to say that the alpha looks surprised, instead he seems to have expected this, and Eren doesn't like that he can apparently read him pretty well.

"Fine," the brunette spits the word out, and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Although he really doesn't want to do anything at all that is being asked of him, starting another fight sounds too exhausting for now. While he isn't a typical omega personality wise, he's still one physically and emotionally. Which basically means that directly disagreeing with alphas or having fights with them isn't in his nature. He's by no means weak, but there are certain instincts even mental strength cannot reverse completely, or so it seems. He's drained, and not looking forward to wherever they're going.

No other words are being exchanged between them as they make their way out of that room, through the other bedroom and to the living room where one can instantly pick up on the smell of another strong alpha. Eren's body stiffens instantly, because he doesn't like the idea of having two alphas around at all. No thanks, one is already more than enough to handle.

Once they make their way around the corner, Eren behind the other, he can make out a blonde, tall man with blue eyes and eyebrows that seem just a bit too big. He's sitting on the couch, going through some sort of folder. 

"What took you so long?" the man asks, and Eren is unsure who exactly of the both he is talking to. Keeping his mouth shut, he waits for the conversation between the two others to unfold and lets his eyes scan the room for potential exits. Except for the one front door, there's apparently no way out and that's not what he was hoping for. 

"We had a little disagreement," the raven answers casually and it makes Eren wonder what a big disagreement would be, then. 

"Well, it does smell like it. That was to be expected. Eren," the blonde man calls his name and the boy doesn't like the commanding tone at all, "Welcome, I'm Erwin Smith and the boss of this institution. Your parents have given us a detailed report about the many issues that have been bothering them lately when it comes to your behavior. Their main concern is that in your current condition, you're not going to find a suitable partner. I'm sure you're aware of that." 

It really isn't anything new to Eren. He nods, not sure where the blonde man is going with this. 

"I'm sure you're not stupid and that you understand that this is for your own good. If you want to get married to a good alpha, you'll need to learn how to be a good omega. We're not asking you to change overnight, but we do ask you to do your best to collaborate with us. We're not your enemy, alright?" 

Of course. He should have known they'd try to manipulate him into believing something of that sort. In this instant, the omega decides that he doesn't like the blonde alpha and his way of carefully choosing his words like this, not at all. Besides, the blonde reminds him of someone, something he'd much rather never think about again in his life.

"Yeah well and I'm not looking to get married, so I may as well just leave and live my own damn life," he counters, not really caring who it is that's sitting in front of him right now. Although he feels uncomfortable with the man in here, but he tries to ignore that sensation.

A strict look from the raven is sent the boy's way, but that doesn't really impress him too much. He wonders whether the other omegas who get sent here are literally too spooked by the new environment to open their mouth and speak their mind, and concentrates on not letting the alpha's words get to him.

"As much as I'd like the idea of a society where it is possibly to live safely and independently as an omega, we all know that this isn't the case. You understand that too, do you not?" the alpha says conversationally, but Eren can tell that the man isn't exactly a fan of having an omega question him. His tone gives that much away. 

"I understand that it's an easy excuse for assholes to treat omegas like a possession, yes," the sarcastic comment leaves his lips before he can stop himself and those blue eyes narrow on him instantly.

"You're not going to go far here with that attitude of yours. You're either very naive or looking for trouble, speaking that way to an alpha. Let me assure you, Eren, there are many alphas who wouldn't bother to try and help you and just go straight for punishment instead. Just because we're trying to be understanding here, it doesn't mean that there won't be.. consequences for bad behavior," the threat is barely concealed, and it's apparent in the man's scent as well. Eren is doing a great job at pissing him off. From the looks of it, he isn't used to being challenged by omegas at all. 

"Let's just get to the point, Erwin," the raven interrupts the fight that's about to ensue between the two, and it actually does help interrupt not only the verbal fight, but the battle of scents as well. 

Eren sort of wishes someone would open a window, though. 

"You're right. We're already behind schedule anyway. I can tell that this isn't going to be an easy case. Are you willing to work together with Eren or am I supposed to take him with me?" the blonde asks and in that moment, the omega recalls Christa's words. That it'll be decided with whom he ends staying, and not by Eren himself either. He doesn't get a say in this. It's all up to the man he's been fighting with since he first met him. 

That's just his luck.

And somehow then, panic floods Eren's veins again. Because compared to Erwin, despite everything, he realises the asshole of an alpha whose name he still hasn't been told seems like a much more tolerable option. Perhaps it's the scent or the vague sense of familiarity that a few hours of being here have given him, but he finds himself hoping that he'll stay right where he is. Maybe it's because Erwin reminds him of a parent talking to a child, while the earlier arguments with the raven seemed more equal in a twisted way. That's not exactly something he's able to put into words. 

He can tell that he smells panicked again, and worried, and Eren hopes that the black haired alpha actually gets the hint and agrees to work together with him instead of sending him away. 

Silver eyes meet green for a good five seconds, and although Eren doesn't exactly use his puppy eyes, he knows that his eyes are easy to read. Everyone keeps telling him that, and he hopes that it'll have some sort of effect on the man. 

The alpha's gaze doesn't soften, but a sigh leaves his lips.

"He's staying here," that deep voice affirms, and for whatever ungodly reason, Eren feels the weight of a thousand stones fall off his chest with that short sentence.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took so long. im very sorry about that.   
> But here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy it and thanks to everyone who reads this story (:

Once Erwin has left the building, the atmosphere in the room changes significantly, like a sudden rainfall that brings wind after a hot day. Being in the same room with one alpha is more than enough for Eren to deal with, and he's glad that the tall man has disappeared for now and left them alone. After it was made clear that Eren won't be coming with him, the alpha left relatively quickly, not before shooting the raven a questioning look, as if he hadn't expected him to agree and train the omega. Eren still hates the way that sounds, but for now he's more relieved that he won't be leaving with the blonde man. Everything else, he can think about later. 

"Thanks," he finds himself saying despite everything. 

A thin, black eyebrow raises as the alpha looks at him with a hint of surprise on his pale face. It makes Eren wonder whether the man is always guarded like that with his facial expressions, or maybe it's something he does specifically when he's at work. 

"What for? I didn't exactly think you'd be happy to stay here with me," the man explains, and Eren isn't sure what to answer because he cannot quite explain his change of heart to himself either. Before meeting the blonde alpha, he'd never have thought that he could possibly be grateful to stay in here. With this stormy eyed man of all people.

Of course leaving altogether still sounds like the best option, but he doubts that the other isn't aware of that particular desire. "Well, I'd just.. rather stay here than go with him. No specific reason, I just don't like that man," he says casually, not really bothering to explain things more accurately. 

"Erwin isn't a bad person, but he does demand respect. Just as I do, and we'll work on that," the answer comes, and it occurs to Eren just how different this conversation right now is compared to their earlier talk that involved mainly insults and commands of the worse kind. Right now, their conversation seems so civil that it almost tricks his mind into believing that the alpha isn't his enemy. Almost.

The omega keeps his mouth shut in response, not really wanting to talk about his dislike for Erwin Smith and his lack of respect towards alphas yet again; that's one thing he really cannot stand about alphas. It's that omegas are automatically forced to respect them, even when they haven't done anything to earn that respect yet. He cannot speak about that topic without causing a fight though, so that's why he keeps his mouth shut.

"First things first, you need something dry to wear and then we're making lunch. Afterwards, well discuss the house rules. Can you cook?" 

"I don't cook," Eren admits and thinks about his mother's cooking for a second because he can't help it. A moment of homesickness hits him, but the boy tries not to let those thoughts bring him down. He's good at suppressing his inner omega, but that doesn't make him immune to the one thing all omegas have in common. They care about the people close to them, very much so. While he isn't too close to his father, being here without his mother and sister does leave a bitter taste behind. Especially since the last few years have made him feel more and more alienated in the family already, and this situation right now- having been sent here- feels like the final stab in the back. Like they are willing to do literally anything it takes to get him married to some guy, and finally get rid of him.

"Then you'll learn to," the alpha says as if that's already decided, and Eren has to keep himself from giving him a sarcastic answer. He isn't sure that cooking with that alpha sounds like much of a good idea, but the boy doubts that there's any way for him to get out of it, no matter what he says. 

"Well at least dry clothes do sound good," he says, giving the man a dead stare that doesn't quite match the other in its indifference despite his efforts. 

"Come on then," the alpha tells him, and once again Eren finds himself following that man, back out of the living room and into the larger of the two bedrooms where the raven haired man opens a drawer and searches through the clothes before he finally finds something he apparently deems fitting. Eren just stands there, watching him with crossed arms, trying not to breathe too heavily because while the whole house smells like alpha, in this room the smell is perhaps the most noticeable.

"You look like you're about to throw up. I swear if you make a mess in here you're going to spend the whole night cleaning it up, so just keep it down." 

I takes Eren a moment to register the words, and he's sure that he looks a little surprised, shocked maybe. He didn't think his dislike of the smell was this obvious, but apparently that was very wrong. "Well, I just don't like the smell of alphas. But no, I'm not going to throw up," he says, and there's almost a hint of amusement in his words although the omega doesn't really know why. Maybe it's the face the alpha made while telling him not to puke. Probably. 

"Most omegas have the opposite of a problem with the smell of alphas," the man says, almost to himself, before turning to face the omega, "but I guess you'll get used to it with time." 

Eren doesn't necessarily agree but he keeps his mouth shut and takes the shirt the man gives him. It's black, and the fabric feels soft between his fingers, like it's been washed with high quality products. He almost wants to lean forward and smell it, but holds himself back because maybe that would be sort of weird. 

"Christa should be bringing you the rest of your clothes this evening, but up until then, you're going to have to be okay with this," he tells Eren, staring at him as if he's waiting for something. 

Somehow, those grey eyes feel too heavy on him in that moment, and the omega mumbles something about needing to put the shirt on before disappearing into his new bedroom. Once he's in there, he breathes in deeply, and finds himself glad for the short moment of solitude. He allows himself to finally lift the shirt up to his face; the urge is somehow still there although he doesn't think much of it. Just like he expected, it smells like freshly washed clothes, clean with a hint of what almost smells like tea. Unmistakably, the alpha's scent is on it too, but it doesn't really bother the boy too much since it isn't as overwhelming as usual. Which in itself is an unusual thought for him.

Before he can overthink the lack of disgust he feels though, he pulls the shirt over his head. It fits him pretty well, although it's a bit loose, but Eren mostly prefers baggy clothes anyway since people have the tendency to stare at omegas, and it's ten times worse with tight clothes on. He's in the habit of wearing clothes a size too big, but he does wonder why the man who is undeniably smaller than him owns a shirt this big.

Although he doesn't really have a reason to, he stands there for another minute before making his way back to the bigger bedroom, the wood creaking quietly with each step. 

He half expects the alpha to already be in the kitchen, but he definitely doesn't expect to be greeted by the sight of said alpha half naked, apparently searching for a certain item of clothing that he hasn't yet found. 

Eren holds his breath, thinking that perhaps the other hasn't noticed his presence yet. He finds himself a bit jealous because judging by the sight of the man's back, he definitely has more muscles than should be possible for someone his size, and yet it still doesn't look ridiculous which sort of annoys the omega in a weird way. He sort of wishes the man would look less like a damn athlete. No matter what Eren does sports wise, his muscles just don't seem to take a hint and grant him somewhat of a more manly looking body. Sure, he does have muscles, but a certain softness about his body remains, no matter what he does. 

"Quit staring," the alpha commands unexpectedly, and Eren definitely wasn't staring, so he does his best to deny that claim. 

"I wasn't staring, I was wondering why old people always take so long picking out clothes," he says smoothly, but averts his eyes nonetheless, even though that man's back is still facing him and he shouldn't notice either way. 

"I can smell it when you lie," the man says and it sounds so deadly serious that the omega finds it very hard to tell whether that's a real ability of his or a stupid lie said with a blank face. Sure, certain people can smell even small changes in another person's mood, but not in a way that would allow them to become a human lie detector. 

Still, he finds the man's sense of humor somewhat hard to grasp, if that was a joke. Which he certainly hopes it was.

"No you can't," Eren tells him, but he doesn't get an answer other than a dismissive noise, and then the alpha eventually puts a black, short-sleeved shirt on. The omega decides not to comment on that, so instead the two of them wordlessly make their way into the kitchen where the raven watches carefully as he washes his hands, as if to make sure he's doing it properly. And to be honest, he probably is, judging by the cleanliness of the household. 

The raven washes his hands too, and this time Eren watches him quite obviously, wanting to give him a taste of that feeling of being observed, but the man doesn't seem to even notice. Or he pretends not to, it's incredibly hard to tell. Although Eren generally gets the vibe that the alpha does notice a lot of the things going on around him, which makes it all the more confusing. Usually, Eren finds it a bit easier to figure alphas out, because they're just following their animal instincts and well, it doesn't take much intelligence to do that. There are a few exceptions to such rules, like Eren's sister who is definitely not an idiot although she's an alpha, but those really are exceptions. And that man currently busy drying his hands next to Eren definitely isn't one of those.

He's an ass, your typical alpha. Smelly, and quick to react when provoked. Nothing more or less. And Eren isn't going to make this cooking lesson easy for him. 

"So? What are we making?" Eren asks him, his eyes following the alpha who moves smoothly around the kitchen, not answering him and instead proceeding to place some vegetables and a bag of rice on the table. He gets a knife out of the drawer, and places it on the table along with two plates. 

"Here. Cut those but don't cut your fingers off, alright?" the man asks, as if he's talking to a child. 

"I was actually planning on going straight for my wrist, but alright then," the omega cannot help but say sarcastically. He moves to sit down, but is interrupted. 

"Don't sit down. It's easier cutting vegetables when you're standing." Although it's just a comment, a well meant tip so to speak, Eren can basically feel himself build up that 'no alpha gets to tell me anything' wall around himself. 

He realises once more that he doesn't want to be here, he doesn't want to do this. It's humiliating standing here and learning how to basically be a good servant for his future partner. 

He uses that frustration as fuel, taking the knife and slamming it down on the poor peppers as if they've insulted him. 

That actually does help a bit, but it's short lived because as soon as the raven haired man sees what he's doing, the knife is taken from his hand and a hand is slammed on the table right next to him. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" 

"I'm cutting the vegetables. Just as you told me to," the brunette says, trying to keep his face neutral. 

"You're not cutting them, you're crippling them. Look at this! Those pieces are literally more than double the size of the others," the alpha yells, as if Eren has committed the worst crime in the world. 

"Who cares?" 

"I care. And that's why you better care as well. Since you're obviously incapable of doing even this, I'll show you how to do it properly. Once." 

Eren isn't sure how to respond to that, but it doesn't stop a sarcastic, "oh thank you so very much," from leaving his lips. 

Silver eyes are like daggers when they meet green, and for a moment Eren doesn't really seem to have a smart comment or anything else. Not with the alpha drowning him in his scent again, while simultaneously holding a knife. 

The omega forces himself to watch the man proceed to cut the pepper properly, with quick movements that look well-practiced. He's done just a few seconds later and for whatever ungodly reason, Eren seems to get distracted by that man's hands. He can't really explain it to himself. Those are just hands, hands that belong to a stupid alpha who may or may not be a good cook. He'll see about that. After what feels like much too long, the man moves away and with him does the cloud of scents that was surrounding them just a second ago.

"It's easier that way. Now stop looking at me with that constipated look, alright?" 

Eren doesn't answer. He instead continues to cut, actually trying his best just so he doesn't have to talk to the man. While he does this, he can hear the other pouring the rice into the now boiling water and putting oil into a pan. 

"Are you done yet?" 

"Depends on how many I'm supposed to cut," Eren keeps his answer vague. 

And then he's close again, standing behind Eren and it's almost like the boy can tell exactly how many centimetres he is away just by the intensity of the smell. About 20, perhaps. 

"That should be enough," he says in that deep voice, grabs the plate and pours the red little pieces into the pan, "and while the rice is cooking, we can talk about the rules that you would already know by now, if you would have read them instead of taking a damn nap."

"Yeah well I don't know them, so tell me about those holy house rules of yours." 

"You really need to learn to talk without sounding like a cocky 13 year old, kid," the alpha says and Eren resists the urge to stick his tongue out, "the first rule is that you'll follow my orders. There are certain things that need to be taught to you, and that's why you're here. I'm not the type to unnecessarily give stupid orders, but when I tell you to do something, you'll do it. I'll let today's mistake drop because it's your first day here, but from now on, there are no excuses." 

Eren eyes him, and gives a small chuckle. "So the first rule is that you can basically make new rules as you please? I'm not so sure that sounds like something I want to accept." 

The man gives him a look that says 'I don't care whether you want to accept that,' and pours something else into the pan, causing it to make a sound and startling Eren for a moment. 

"The second rule is that cursing and insults aren't tolerated, and will be met with consequences. Again, you broke that rule and if it happens again, you'll get some nice little task to make up for it. I think the cellar needs some cleaning." 

"What the fuck? You're literally cursing all the time, so why am I not allowed to? " 

"Because I'm not the one who got sent here because of bad behavior," the alpha tells him, looking straight in Eren's eyes. The omega turns away, but his face speaks volumes. 

"The third rule is that you tell me when your heat starts. Before, and I stress that, it starts. We need to get scent blockers and plan ahead, because I'm not interested in making that a bigger mess than it already will be." 

And when he says that, Eren can feel his entire fave turn red, all the way up to his ears. He doesn't dare to look at the other as he asks, "You're going to leave when I have my heat though, right?" Adrenaline seems to poison his blood, and the thought of having an alpha around during his heat turns it into panic. 

"I can assure you that nothing is going to happen, and I'm certainly not going to touch you if that's what you're scared of. But yes, I'll be here, although during that week we probably won't be able to achieve much concerning the training," the alpha tells him, but it doesn't do anything to calm Eren down. He wants to be out of here by the time his next heat happens, that's for sure. 

"You can't just stay around an omega in heat and act like that's a perfectly normal thing to do at work! Is that why you work here? So you can get some joy out of watching underage omegas when they're completely fucking vulnerable?! That's disgusting!" Eren starts yelling, and he can feel himself losing control with each word as he goes on. He knows to a certain degree that he's only freaking out like this because he's scared - scared of what might happen- but he really can't help himself or hold back. "You literally haven't even told me your name and you fucking expect me to go ahead and just trust you not to abuse your damn power although that's all you damn alphas ever do? Fuck this, your cooking smells like shit anyway!" 

Although in reality he's sort of hungry and whatever the man is making doesn't smell bad at all, Eren finishes his outburst by storming off into the small bedroom, not even turning around once to judge the other's reaction. In fact, he doesn't even want to see it because he knows that this was a bit much of an impulsive reaction on his side, but he can't take that back now either. A strange feeling of shame settles in his gut, but he tells himself that this isn't him being entirely unreasonable. He has reasons for his fear, and the reality of that thought only ever seems to make things worse. 

He doesn't only dislike alphas. He's scared of them, sometimes at least. 

With the door slammed shut behind him, Eren moves to sit on the bed. It still smells like alpha everywhere, but one day of being caught in here has already gotten him strangely used to that. It isn't exactly comforting however, and he finds himself yet again thinking about his parents and his sister. About how, just a few years ago, everything seemed so easy. Before he had to grow up. 

Those thoughts don't get him anywhere however, and although he knows that, it's sometimes hard not to get tempted into being nostalgic. 

It takes about ten minutes until there's a knock on the door, but Eren knew that this was coming. He's been informed about the rules, and he's pretty certain he just broke like, maybe all of them? Or at least the 'no cursing' one. 

He doesn't say anything, and the door opens after about 15 seconds. 

Like a shadow, the raven moves through the room, placing the steaming plate on the desk. He doesn't really look around or give Eren much attention, but before he leaves the room, the alpha turns around, both their eyes finding each other instantly. Eren feels like his heart is beating a little faster but it's probably just because he doesn't really want to hear about the punishment he'll get for breaking the rules. Not at all because for once, those eyes seem strangely open, and expressive. 

"It's Levi. My name." 

And a second later, he's out of the room, and Eren has never felt so confused in his life. Levi. It takes his brain a second to put the words in context, and when he does, the confusion only grows. Of all things he expected the other to say, this was literally the last thing he thought he'd hear. 

In a strange way, the words help though. And perhaps that's why Eren feels able to ignore his pride and actually sit down at the table, his stomach screaming at him to finally eat something. His mind keeps repeating the way the man pronounced his name, and he tries to ignore that in favor of concentrating on the food.

And damn, it's actually good. And with each bite the boy takes, he cannot help but feel as if maybe, he should actually go and apologise to the alpha - to Levi.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep saying this but thanks so much to everyone who reads this story, and also for all the comments and kudos. It really means a lot.

"Okay," Eren declares the moment he enters the kitchen again, speaking before he even looks at the alpha, "I'm not in the habit of apologising so don't get used to it. But, I overreacted just now. And what I said wasn't fair. I didn't mean to say that." 

And it's a honest apology, although the words don't come out easily. It takes a few seconds of silence until he manages to actually look at the alpha - at Levi. He's still getting used to the fact that he now has a name to go with the man's face. And he certainly isn't sure how to feel about that name. 

Levi is just standing there, looking back at the omega with a questioning look, as if he expected anything but this. And well, that reaction is probably justified. Just a few hours ago, Eren definitely couldn't see himself apologising to an alpha ever in his life. And just a few minutes ago, he didn't seem to care about the fact that he was being careless with his words. But now, it's somehow different. 

Although both their eyes are now locked, the alpha continues to wash the dishes, and Eren is sure that the man doesn't miss a spot, even without looking. It only serves to further Eren's suspicion that he is a clean freak, but it's not like he's going to say that now. Instead, he stands there awkwardly, trying not to shy away from that intense gaze that only seems to grow heavier by the second. 

"Alright, Eren," he begins, and Eren can't help but flinch at the sudden sound of that deep voice saying his name, "let's just forget about that. I know that it's all a bit much to take in. And I understand that you don't trust me, so your reaction was understandable in a way. Although I can't say I appreciate that whole 'yelling and then storming off' thing too much, and that shouldn't become a regular thing." 

Eren honestly expected the alpha to mock him, to be mad. But instead, his voice holds nothing but calmness, and understanding. That's why the reaction surprises him, and he's not so sure how to respond at all. If the other man is only pretending not to be angry for some reason, he damn sure is good at it. 

Then again, Levi doesn't really seem like the type of person to be passive aggressive about stuff like this. He'd probably just insult Eren or punish him somehow if he was mad, but right now it doesn't necessarily look like it, and that in itself is very strange. Although, Eren doesn't really know him for a long time yet and this might as well just be some sort of fucked up mind game he's playing with him. 

"You're not mad?" the omega finds himself asking, although he tells himself that he doesn't care that much, he cannot help it. It's curiosity and confusion that have him opening his mouth, and sometimes Eren hates himself for saying too much instead of staying quiet. 

"Were you scared that I might be mad?" the alpha asks in a tone that instantly has Eren feeling annoyed because somehow when he asks like that, Eren feels like he's being made a fool of again. 

"I- uh, well. No, not at all. Just wondering," he answers and feels like an idiot because that definitely didn't come out smoothly. He plays around with his hair, needing to do some sort of movement with his hands. 

It's in that moment that there's a knock on the door, and the alpha quickly makes his way there to open it. It's pretty dark out now, and Christa's head appears from the darkness a moment later as she steps into the light of the room.

"Good evening you two, I brought the rest of your clothes, Eren," the girl says and Eren finds himself at ease once more with another omega around. Their presence is much different from alphas. Less loud, so to speak. It instantly makes him feel a little less awkward. 

"Thanks," he says although he'd much rather be wearing his own clothes than these.

For whatever reason, Levi takes the clothes from the blonde and leaves the room, thanking her before he does. The two omegas stand in silence for a moment, before the girl breaks it.

"He's in a pretty good mood today," she comments, and Eren is instantly unsure whether he heard her correctly. That man has serious shadows underneath his eyes and his frown hardly ever left his face today. That doesn't look like the best of moods to Eren quite honestly. "How are you two getting along?" 

Eren isn't sure how to answer that particular question. He could tell her that they hated each other and maybe in a way that would even be true, but now that the man has actually shown in some of his small actions that he isn't a total asshole, it's hard for Eren's mind to find an accurate description. He's more of a black and white thinking kind of person, to be honest.

"Levi is really weird somehow. We keep getting into fights, which makes sense since he's about as stubborn as me," he says, half to himself, half to Christa.

"Wow, wait. He told you his name?" she asks, and by now Eren gets the feeling that Levi really is damn weird if it's so unusual for him to tell people his name? That's like, basic social interaction stuff. Introducing yourself to someone, that's not really something anyone has a problem with. Except for this particular alpha apparently.

"I sort of guilt tripped him into it I guess," the brunette tells her. 

"Well, Hanji tries that all the time with him and it hasn't even worked once I think. He's not the type of person to be manipulated easily. But I have a feeling the two of you aren't too bad of a team. You'll learn to get along, and before you know it, you'll be allowed to leave again." 

She leaves out the part where he only gets to go if his behavior is corrected - before that happens he won't be leaving unless he pretends to surrender, but that's not really something he could see himself doing. Eren isn't the best when it comes to long term solutions, and it sometimes feels like his brain is wired for action much rather than planning. Which is why he currently isn't sure what he's going to do. 

"Why doesn't he tell people his name? I didn't think it was that big of a deal, to be honest," Eren tells her although in some ways, it certainly has made a difference. 

"He's got his own teaching methods. It's not like he ever talks much about it, but so far I don't think many omegas have had the privilege of knowing his name," Christa says, her blue eyes full of wonder, as if she cannot explain it to herself either. 

"I don't see how it's much of a privilege know his name. That's just normal. I'm not going to kiss his ass and fucking call him alpha-" 

A tapping on his shoulder is what stops his speech, coupled with a deep voice saying, "Eren, I'm sure you remember the rules we set up earlier? No cursing." 

"That wasn't even cursing, we were just holding a normal conversation, really" the omega says, using that look that always manipulates pretty much anyone successfully. Puppy eyes, as his mother calls it. He isn't exactly sure whether it's working for a moment though, since those colorless eyes don't give anything away. Levi doesn't seem like the type to fall for that, but somehow, apparently he still does. 

"I'll ignore it this once, but you need to mind your language. You'll get used to choosing your words more thoughtfully," he says, and Eren is pretty sure that the surprise is quite noticeable on his face. Just hours ago those rules sounded like some holy law that can never be broken, and how often did he get away with breaking them now? 

Coupled with what Christa told him minutes ago, it almost sounds like he perhaps has another chance to survive all of this insanity. One he hasn't thought of before. 

Maybe if he somehow manages to wrap the alpha around his finger so to speak, then his stay here will be less horrible and most importantly, shorter. 

"I'm sorry, I'll try to be better," he says sweetly, and if the other noticed his sudden change in attitude, he doesn't say anything about it. In fact, the man walks towards Christa, not sparing the boy a glance. He doesn't smell particularly annoyed either, there's only that usual alpha smell clouding up the room like it always does. 

"Let's talk outside for a minute," Levi says to the blonde omegq, and they're out of the room quickly, the blonde waving Eren goodbye before the door falls into the lock. 

And there Eren stands, all alone in the room now and strangely curious about whatever it may be that the two of them are talking about out there. It's probably something work related anyway, but for a moment Eren wonders whether maybe Levi likes her. It's not really anything that he has a reason to believe, but it's inevitably where a lot of people's minds wander when they hear about an alpha and an omega 'having a talk.' And Eren has to admit that Christa is beautiful. Her eyes are an expressive blue color and her face is alarmingly soft, cute even. 

She's everything that people expect omegas to be. A pretty girl. Friendly, and good-hearted. 

'Well, the opposite of me basically,' Eren cannot help but think to himself, and he isn't sure why that bothers him now of all times. He's who he is, and just because it isn't who he's supposed to be, he's not going to abandon himself. That's not even an option. 

And even if the two of them are making out behind that door, then it's really none of Eren's business. Something still gives him the urge to move just a bit closer to that slightly opened window on the left side of the door, but he doesn't catch any words other than 'I'll do that. Goodnight,' from Christa. And a following, 'Goodnight' said by the raven. 

Then, he hurries away from the window and almost stumbles against the now opening door by accident. He's almost tempted to move a little closer and smell the man, only to see if he does have the scent of an omega on him, but he holds himself back. It isn't like Eren to even care about those things, and the only justification he has for his curiosity is trying fact that since he's going to be spending quite a bit of time here with the alpha, he feels like he needs to know as much about him as possible. His weaknesses, and his usual behaviors might be useful information somehow. 

"Don't hurt yourself. You've got that thinking look on your face again, and if you keep that up, you'll have wrinkles all over your forehead by the age of 30," the raven deadpans, before seemingly losing interest and walking away from Eren to pour himself a glass of water. 

The omega's eyes find themselves glued to the bubbles drifting to the surface, and his throat feels a bit dry when he watches the man bring the glass to his mouth and take a sip. 

"Want some too?" 

It takes a second for his brain to process the fact that he's being asked something, and for whatever reason, he can only seem to answer with a soft nod. Eren's brain feels a bit mushy, and perhaps he's indeed dehydrated or something. 

"Glasses and cups are in here," the alpha explains as he grabs another shiny, clean glass, "and plates are down here. You can get yourself something to drink or eat whenever you want to." 

Eren nods again, sill standing there awkwardly and a bit too far away. Once his glass has been filled with water, he makes his way towards the alpha, grabbing the cold water from his hand. Instead of saying thank you like a normal person might, he cannot keep his mouth shut and actually says something he definitely didn't mean to address. 

"So, Christa is really nice." 

Damn. That definitely isn't a weird thing to randomly say. He gulps down his water a bit too fast, and finds himself coughing violently because damn, that water is more than just sparkling. If that in itself doesn't make him feel like an idiot, the raised brow he gets from Levi definitely completes the job.

"Well, say that to her, not to me," is the answer he gets and that doesn't do anything to answer any of the questions he's unwillingly asking himself concerning the two of them. 

Levi takes the glass from his hand then, and refills it with water without asking.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. I'll tell her that," the brunette says and feels sort of lost because he isn't sure at all why he even initiated a weird topic like this. Now he just sounds like a creep. This time he drinks his water slowly, and it sort of feels like he's being watched while doing so, but the omega keeps his green eyes safely hidden behind and focused on the glass in his between hands. 

A weird sort of silence settles over the two of them, and Eren watches silently as the other proceeds to sit down on the couch, grabbing a folder and sighing silently. 

"What are you doing?" Eren asks, unsure what to do with himself once the other's attention is focused on the documents on the small desk entirely. 

"Paperwork," is the short answer he gets, and the omega gets a feeling that the man isn't in the mood to elaborate on that. 

"If you're busy with that, can I go to my room and sleep? I'm still feeling sort of exhausted." 

"Sure, there's a toothbrush in the bathroom and the green towels are yours," the alpha tells Eren, his eyes still glued to the text in front of him, a pen in his hand, "Just don't throw your blankets and pillows on the floor again." 

Eren has almost forgotten about that in the meantime, and although he isn't so sure he'll be able to sleep well surrounded by the scent that clings to all of it, he doesn't want to start yet another fight about something as small as that. "I won't, sorry about that by the way. Uh, good night?" It comes out more like a question than a statement, and silver eyes find Eren's yet again. For a second or two, the man just looks at him with a gaze that makes the boy feel like he's being analysed somehow. 

"Good night, kid," the alpha says and Eren leaves the room with quiet steps, hoping that he'll fall asleep easily and preferably, without thinking too much about everything that happened today.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's another chapter. (:   
> I've already started writing the next one, so I hope to publish that soon.   
> As always, thanks for reading and hopefully, enjoying this story.

Levi wakes up at the same time he usually does; quite early. 5:30 in the morning, to be precise. He isn't much of a sleeper, and especially whenever there's a new kid in the house, he usually spends half the night mentally going through the first impressions he got of whoever his new brat is. 

And in this particular night, he's got quite a few things to analyse. Eren Jäger, a young omega who cannot seem to get along with alphas at all. Or more specifically, with the way in which alphas approach him. The moment Levi looked into his eyes he got a feeling that only intensified through the hours he spent with the boy, and he doesn't like it one bit. The boy's behavior could easily be mistaken as a rebellious phase of a male omega in his teens. It naturally isn't the easiest position to be in, and quite a few of those who are born with this dynamic tend to rebel a bit at about 16 or 17, the boys more so than the girls. 

But this, the mood swings he witnessed in that boy the day before.. it all points in another direction, one the alpha honestly is a bit hesitant to explore for different reasons. Alphas are born with an instinct to protect and to keep omegas safe, and the thought that the boy's current problems might very well be a result of a past trauma and mistreatment much rather than something else is an idea he cannot stand. It has happened before that traumatised omegas with deep trust issues have been brought here, and they're usually among the hardest people to help. You make one mistake, and it's all back at zero. 

Usually though, it's exactly those cases that are the most fulfilling to work on. To help someone overcome issues so deep and see them eventually loosen up and become much happier- that's quite worth the time and effort that are put in it, from both sides. Usually, he takes more aggressive or rebellious kids though, simply because he lacks both the patience and the sensitivity required to handle cases like this one. He has a feeling that it'll take a long while to get Eren to reach the point where he can trust him, although he's already made some small changes in just one day of being here. After their last fight, Eren actually came and apologised to him, and that is definitely confusing to him still. Especially since he could easily smell the feelings that came along with the apology. It all made it seem like the boy actually wasn't just pretending, like it was a genuine apology. Underneath that scared layer of insults and disgust towards alphas, Eren appears like a genuine, good person, like someone who shouldn't spend his entire life hating every single alpha in this world and making life this hard for himself.

It's why Levi couldn't possibly hand the boy over to Erwin. 

Although the omega has annoyed him quite a bit so far with his pointless insults and sometimew idiotic stubbornness, he cannot shake the feeling that he actually understands Eren, if only a little bit. Or maybe he really just wants to understand him. He definitely wants to help him, although the alpha already knows it'll probably give him quite the headache to do so. Levi usually has good intentions and actually wants to help the kids who come here, but at the same time he sometimes wonders why he works in a place like this at all. He gets annoyed quite easily and is also very aware of that, and while he sometimes can be a bit of an asshole according to different sources, he's still pretty successfully despite the fact that he has strong alpha instincts that sometimes make it really hard to work with others, omegas especially. Because he's equally as good at controlling his urges and protective tendencies as they are apparent, he doesn't lose his temper too often, or spoil any of the kids though.

But yesterday, he's been close to it a few times, and that's really, really unusual. It was so easy for the kid to get a rise out of him, and worse yet, he did something he usually never does. 

He let the boy get away with breaking rules. More than once. 

Strictness isn't something he usually needs to force on himself as it comes pretty naturally to him to correct people's mistakes and punish them for bad behavior. He doesn't get soft, ever. Even those who may be a bit anxious or distrustful toward alphas are still here in his damn house, and that means that certain lines can't be crossed and certain rules cannot be broken. Otherwise, this wouldn't work. 

But he allowed it to happen yesterday, and that was a mistake.

It's why he talked to Christa later that day, asking her to make an appointment with Hanji for Eren to get his blood checked. Perhaps his own behavior from yesterday has to do with Eren's scent. At least that's the feeling Levi gets when he thinks about it a little. That boy's smell is unnaturally strong, sweet like apples and cinnamon on a cold winter night. Which reminds Levi of Christmas and for some reason that brings up memories of what he associates with his home; many years ago when his mother was still around and he had no idea at all how much bullshit the future would bring. Sitting in front of the oven and drinking hot chocolate - those kinds of images come with it. It's worse when the boy's afraid or sad, poisonous and headache inducing, and Levi cannot handle it at all. 

Either way, he's apparently somehow emotionally invested in this, and that certainly shouldn't happen in his line of work. It doesn't do him or whoever he's trying to help any good. But he still doesn't want Erwin to help Eren, perhaps thanks to some stupid alpha bullshit about handing over a clearly troubled omega, or maybe it's really nothing but that smell. It's honestly messing with his head, and he can't stand it.

That's why he needs Hanji to analyse whether there's some sort of hormone imbalance or something in his blood, anything to explain his intense smell that plays with Levi's head as if it's some stupid game he cannot win.

He sighs as he thinks about this yet again, taking a cold shower and making himself a hot cup of tea afterwards. 

By the time he's done with that, it's 6:30, and that means that it's time for Eren to stand up and eat some breakfast before their day begins. There's a whole list of things that the alpha has in mind for today. Firstly, he's going to force the boy to go for a run with him, because in some cases, sport alone has done half the job of correcting a kid's attitude. The exhaustion and adrenaline have never hurt anyone, instead it's well known that physical activity tends to help even people with depression or anxiety. Which means, it's definitely worth a shot. Afterwards, they need to go grocery shopping since he doesn't have much of an idea what the boy actually eats, and there are certain fresh ingredients needed if the omega is going to learn some proper recipes with him. Which is honestly something that everyone, regardless of their dynamic should be able to do. Although Levi certainly recognises that there are asshole alphas who only let their mates do the cooking and have no idea how to even cook noodles or shit like that for themselves.

Then, they need to pay Hanji a visit, and during all of those things, he'll need to talk to him, to build up some trust, because that's the only way this can possibly work. Perhaps, there's also a part of him that wonders about the boy; what he's like when he's not busy making it clear that he doesn't like you. There's something about working in a place like this - you hear so many life stories, and get to know so many different people.

Still, he suspects that waking the omega from his peaceful slumber isn't the best way to make the boy despise him less, but it clearly needs to happen since the alpha wants to make sure not to let the boy slack off again. 

He knocks twice on the door, but as expected there is no answer from inside, just silence. 

The door creaks silently as the alpha opens it, that smell hitting him right in the face yet again, but he puts his usual annoyed look on his face and proceeds to walk towards the bed in which the mess of an omega is currently resting. Chestnut colored hair falling in all directions, and the tanned face half buried in the pillow, one would never expect the fiery personality hidden within Eren. He's got the softness all omegas seems to possess, it's in his face, his statue, his hair- but definitely not in his way of speech or his behavior, which Levi makes sure to remind himself of. 

It's still weird to see him sleeping, with his content, sweet scent and relaxed face. For whatever reason, the alpha finds himself staring at the boy who's cuddling the pillow for another few seconds, until his ears pick up on a sound so silent, he almost missed it. 

The omega is purring in his damn sleep. 

God knows what he's dreaming about, or for whatever other reason that may be happening, all that Levi can say for sure is that something inside of him would be happy just standing here for another few hours, simply watching this display of calmness wrapped up in the sweet scent coming from the sleeping boy.

He isn't sure how many attempts it takes until he can make himself snap out of it, but definitely too long. 

 

Deciding that the only way to end this madness is to wake him up, he doesn't waste any more time in doing so. 

"Eren, wake up," he tries. 

"Come on, brat," he goes on, but the boy seems to be such a fucking deep sleeper that it doesn't do anything either. Unlike yesterday, he decides against the water-in-the-face method though and opts for grabbing the omegas shoulders with just a small bit of pressure, shaking him softly. 

In response, the boy starts to scrunch up his face, looking like an annoyed child that doesn't want to eat his vegetables. It makes Levi stop for a second when that tiny change in mood is reflected in the omega's smell. It really is true that he can basically smell when the other lies or acts differently from how he feels. He can pick up on it all, and while that might be useful, it's also frankly quite distracting. 

That moment of hesitation is enough for Eren to attempt and sink his head into the pillow even more, he positions himself on his side und pulls the blanket closer around his body, too. While all of that may or may not be kind of adorable, Levi knows better than to fall for it. 

"Eren, seriously. It's time to wake up," he says, leaning over the bed and supporting himself with one arm in order to pull the pillow away with the other. 

"Five minutes," the brunette mumbles with a tired voice, trying to hold onto the pillow as if it's some sort of lifesaver. 

"No five minutes, just get up now," he says, louder this time, using a more demanding tone, and it seems to work. Or partially, at least. Because the boy's body tenses up, and Levi can basically smell it as reality suddenly becomes apparent to him. 

"It's too early," the boy protests again, though with a more coherent voice this time. 

"It's almost seven. I've been awake for more than an hour, so you should be able to wake up, too. We've got things planned for today." 

A sigh leaves the boy's lips, portraying his non-existent excitement. Levi briefly remembers the soft sound of the boy's content purring from minutes ago, and it seems so strange to think of that now. He's just woken up and the unwillingness to be in the same room with the alpha is back there, he can tell. 

"What have you planned that cannot wait for a few more hours?" Eren asks, finally turning around to face him with his tired turquoise eyes, looking like a total mess with his hair sticking up in all directions. Maybe it's the look on Levi's face or maybe just his slowly awakening brain, but the boy suddenly seems to be very aware of their close proximity, his eyes traveling from the alpha's arm which rests on the bed, to his face. 

And then his eyes widen, and Levi could swear he looks embarrassed. 

Which in itself is a bit of an odd reaction, but it does make sense somehow. If he's not used to being around any alphas except his family, it must surely be weird to wake up basically staring an alpha right in the face. 

Levi clears his throat, and starts explaining the plans to him, keeping the explanation short, only to be met with furrowed brows and a confused look. 

"I thought I wasn't supposed to leave the house?" Eren asks after a few seconds. 

"I'm not going to keep you locked in here, some of the others do that but I don't think it'd make much sense to leave you alone half the day. Or would you rather stay in here and clean while I go for my morning run? Maybe you're just bad at sports?" 

That question doesn't seem to be an easy one to answer, because it yet again takes a few moments until Eren replies. In that time, Levi makes sure to move backwards, giving the boy some space and he in turn sits up, combing his fingers through his hair as if that could even fix anything. But apparently, his challenging tone has worked.

"I don't like cleaning," the omega then admits, "which means I'll come with you. Although my legs are way longer than yours, so you probably won't be able to keep up anyway." He smirks then, apparently thinking that his response is very clever. It's an obvious challenge from the boy, but Levi doesn't feel threatened in the least. Eren's legs may be longer than his, but the omega has no idea just how good the alpha is at running.

-

They haven't been outside for more than 10 minutes, and Eren already regrets agreeing to this. Levi's about 20 metres ahead of him, jogging along the mossy forest path surrounded by dark green needle trees. Although the omega cannot really stand this place, he has to admit that the forest behind it is a beautiful one, but he currently finds it very hard to appreciate the nature surrounding him, because his lungs feel like they're going to give up soon. 

'Fuck my inability to back down from a challenge,' he thinks to himself, trying his best to keep moving, but his lungs and upper body seem hurt more with each step, and apparently he isn't as physically gifted as he thought he was, which isn't a realisation he likes at all. 

Or maybe the issue isn't so much him as it is the stupid alpha in front of him who's been jogging for one hour straight and still doesn't show a damn sign of getting tired. Sure, he's sweating a bit and his breathing is a bit louder than usually, but compared to Eren he looks completely fine. So apparently Eren wasn't wrong in assuming that the man is of very good physical health, although this is way more than he expected. 

"Are you coming?" the raven yells through the forest, and Eren prays to a God he doesn't believe in that the other stumbles over something and just falls to the ground. But he has no such luck. And the omega is pissed, because he knows that he lost this battle, yet again. 

"Yes," he yells, using what little air he has left in his lungs and tries to run just a little bit faster. It's obvious that the alpha can smell, see and hear just how done he is with running, but the bastard apparently doesn't give a damn. Or rather than that, he seems to be waiting for Eren to give up and just admit that he isn't as fit as him. 

As if to mock him even more, Levi starts jogging on one spot, waiting for him to catch up. Once Eren finally does, he can physically feel those cold eyes staring at him expectantly, and the only thing keeping him from just saying that he needs a break is his sense of pride. 

That pride seems less and less important though, as his body becomes more and more desperate for just a few minutes of normal walking, or sitting - or perhaps just collapsing on the ground. 

"Your face looks really red, are you okay?" the alpha asks Eren, as if he doesn't already know the answer. And if the boy had the air and energy to do so, he'd have yelled a sarcastic remark right back at him, but that's currently not an option. 

"I'm just fine," he hisses. 

"Ah, I almost forgot, long legs, right?" Levi says and gives him a stupid smirk, and Eren is once again reminded of why he hates alphas so much. 

"Yea," he replies curtly, attempting to concentrate on moving forwards. They run alongside each other for five more minutes until no power of will or sense of pride can keep Eren moving anymore and he becomes slower and slower, eventually standing still. 

He thought Levi would just continue to run forward and perhaps taunt him a bit, but when his movements come to a halt and the sound of heavy breathing replaces that of footsteps, the alpha turns around and looks at him with something that may or may not be a hint of worry. Although it's probably just some stupid alpha thing and not actually worry. 

And through his foggy vision, Eren can suddenly see him coming closer, grabbing his arms as if to keep him from collapsing. Perhaps that's a good thing, because he actually feels like he might just drop to the floor with the lack of oxygen in his system. Everything seems a bit unreal, far away.

"Hey, don't you faint on me," that deep voice tells him, and Eren doesn't have it in him to reply, even if he wanted to.

"Come on, you need to breathe properly," Levi tells him and Eren is pretty sure the sound of his voice is the only thing he can currently focus on to keep himself from blacking out. It's a scary feeling, and he definitely hasn't ever been exhausted to the point of collapsing before.

"In," he says, drawing the word out, "and out." And Eren tries his best to follow his lead, although it's not easy at all with the way his lungs are burning. Maybe he shouldn't have skipped breakfast, or perhaps that wouldn't have made a difference either. 

All he knows is that his breathing is very slowly getting to normal again, but he cannot say the same about his head. Because with a sweaty alpha standing right in front of him and the heavy breaths he is currently taking, his head starts to feel foggy for a completely different reason. Levi's scent is just so strong, it's almost like breathing in gas and slowly losing consciousness, but different. Because he feels very, very aware of his body suddenly, and breathing in synch with Levi then seems like the easiest thing in the world. 

Just in and out. 

His hands are warm on Eren's arms.

And after who knows how long, he feels pretty alright again, although his muscles still feel sore and his whole body is still aching. But breathing works, and his vision is probably back to normal, although Eren doesn't dare to open his eyes. He wants to be held up a bit longer, and to keep his eyes closed, ignoring all thoughts and just feeling... safe?

"You're doing great. Keep breathing with me," Levi tells him, and Eren nods softly, not in the mood to argue or provoke. He finds himself half consciously moving a step closer into the man's chest, and it's only when his head almost rest upon the man's scent gland in his neck that Eren's eyes suddenly snap open, only for him to shut them yet again. 

He cannot help but notice that from such a short distance, the alpha doesn't smell all that bad. Like black tea and mint, almost, harsh but not at all unpleasant. 

And the realisation of that little fact nearly turns his world upside down. 'What in the world is happening to me?' he asks himself, but cannot find an answer at all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! here's the new chapter, I tried to make it longer this time. (:
> 
> There a some mentions of rape in this, or at least hints of it. Nothing too explicit, but I still wanted to give a warning. 
> 
> Also, because quite a few people asked me about Eren.. he will definitely not stop being who he is, but he does get into a lot of conflicts with himself because he's sort of torn between what he feels and what he thinks. Which is also why he keeps changing his attitude towards Levi, and the whole situation quite often. I hope this makes sense? 
> 
> Enjoy reading, hopefully.

"You smell..," Eren starts talking, accidentally, and before he can stop himself. 

Today his mouth once again works faster than his head it appears, because he's unable to finish that sentence and instead lets the words hang in the air, half closed eyes fixed on that certain area in the alpha's neck where he instinctively knows he can find more of that scent. And maybe some sort of relief along with it. Every bit of his being is asking him to move closer, and that sudden, strange desire is almost like a wake up call. The rush of adrenaline that comes with the shock of the realisation is enough to put some sense back into him, and his tunnel vision fades for the most part. 

But, he's still very aware of his surroundings, but for now it's more of a 'being on edge' thing than anything else, which is less scary than being in that basically hypnotised state he was in seconds ago. He's able to think more clearly now, which is somewhat of a relief. 

"Sweaty," the omega says after that long, awkward pause. "You really need to shower," he finishes creatively, wanting to give himself a slap in the face for his poor choice of words. Sweaty? Really? But there weren't many other options for him to chose from either. 

Not when his brain is fogged like this.

What should he have said? Intriguing, amazing, attractive? No, that would have been creepy, and not in the good way. It's bad enough that he let himself feel those strangely warm, calm feelings for a moment, but he blames it on the state his body was in. Of course an omega notices it when he's practically breathing in an alpha, especially when feeling helpless, or sick. And when said alpha has a strong scent like Levi does, it's no miracle that would trigger something - whatever exactly that may be- within him.

That's what this is. Purely instinctual nonsense. Nothing more and nothing less, that's something Eren is sure of. 

The alpha who is still worryingly close to him seems to take a second or two until he understands that the words were a continuation of Eren's earlier half sentence. 

"Why do you keep moving closer to me then?" the raven asks him with a curious but still unreadable tone, and now it's Eren's turn to be surprised at the alpha's words. Worst of all, Levi is right. He's leaning towards him, unconsciously moving closer at a pace so slow, he didn't notice it himself. Now that he has however, the situation instantly turns ten times weirder than it was before. He's not half as unaffected by this situation as he wants to be, and right now there is no sense of danger in the boy anymore, just that smell which belongs to the alpha in front of him. Eren isn't sure what to say, because he doesn't know how to handle situations like this, never learned to. 

Why in the world is his brain failing him now of all times though, he wonders. Perhaps some parts of it died due to a lack of oxygen during their run. 

"Snap out of it, kid. And stop giving me that look," the alpha says, clearly aware that something is off with the omega, and it's only then that Eren realises he hasn't moved a centimeter away. And yes, maybe he's indeed staring at the other, but he didn't really realise that the man even noticed, too distracted by his unfamiliarity of his feelings.

It honestly feels like his brain has been clouded in fog, with no hope of sunshine anytime soon. 

He's only half aware that all of this is really happening, and already so confused because he doesn't understand why it's like this.

"Eren," the word comes out a bit strained, with a hint of tension hidden beneath that authoritarian voice. It's a clear stop sign, even when it's in fact only his name. 

And for whatever reason, that catches Eren's attention just fine, and his movements stop just a hint away from pressing his head into the man's neck like a crazy person. He's sort of thankful the other stopped him, because just seconds ago, it didn't really feel like he was able to do that on his own. And he knows he would have hated himself and the alpha for it afterwards. 

"Yeah?" he finally gets the word out, sounding breathless without having any reason to. His eyes meet questioning, grey ones that seem to analyse the omega so easily, it's almost sad. It still makes his heart beat a little faster though, and he's in a strange state between panic and calmness which Eren never really knew existed in this way. 

It's weird enough that he isn't having a panic attack from being this close to an alpha, honestly. 

"Can you stand?" Levi asks and loosens his hold on the omega, only to see him make a face when he's finally standing on his own, because Eren really isn't so sure yet that he won't faint again. Under normal circumstances, Eren would never let this happen. He'd bite his lip and act like he's completely fine just for the sake of keeping up his pride.

Right now however, his pride is somewhere in the back of his mind and all he can consciously notice is the fact that Levi is moving away, and so is his smell, which instantly has Eren feeling a bit distressed. Somewhat dilated pupils search for the man's eyes, and Eren cannot explain what happens in that moment, but the way they look at each other seems somehow different from before, and it has his stomach full of apprehension.

It's a strange feeling that washes over him, one he's never known before. 

In that moment, he isn't thinking about all the reasons he dislikes alphas, or this one in particular. Neither is he thinking of his former school or anything that has happened to him there. All his mind seems to scream at him is that there shouldn't be as much distance between him and the alpha as there currently is. 

Which is why the man's next offer is more than welcome.

"You should have said something before your legs got all shaky and you were ready to black out, idiot." 

The alpha seems to be thinking then, for a moment or two, before he continues," I can carry you back, we're not that close yet and I don't feel like getting even more behind schedule," he says and it lacks any real bite. He doesn't seem annoyed necessarily, just a bit exhausted, or maybe confused by the omega's sudden desire for closeness. And Eren honestly can't blame the man with the way he is losing it over here, doing all sorts of weird things that even he doesn't understand.

For a moment he's afraid his heat might be close, and that it's the reason he's being like this, but that can't be it. He's still got almost two weeks, and his heat always happens to him on the same day, maybe one later or earlier than usual. But definitely not a few weeks early. 

So, what else could it be that's going on? He'd sure love to know.

"Yeah, uh sure? Although I'm heavier than I look," he says, trying to hide his inner omega's excitement at the prospect of being close to him behind the humorous chuckle. So far, Eren still feels like it came out a bit too enthusiastic, though. He decides not to question that and instead awkwardly places a hand on Levi's shoulder when the alpha turns around for him to get on his back, but Eren is unsure how to proceed. 

After half a minute of awkwardly standing there, Levi breathes out an annoyed sound and grabs the boy's legs without much more of a warning, lifting him up and instantly making the omega wrap his arms and legs around him for fear of losing balance. A second later, Eren is practically in heaven because he, coincidencidentally or not, has placed his head in the perfect area of the raven's neck where the sheer amount of pheromones makes him so dizzy, he almost starts purring. 

Who knew alphas could actually smell good somehow? Eren isn't sure he wants to believe that.

Levi doesn't seem disturbed by his display, or if he is, it doesn't show. 

And then, the alpha starts running, like he isn't even carrying another person on his back. He's fast, and he runs in a steady rhythm, which makes it a bit more comfortable for Eren. If the omega didn't know any better he'd think that he's actually trying to run in a way that's very considerate of the boy on his back. 

After a minute or two of getting used to the movements and enjoying the smell that is doing who knows what with him, Eren finds himself lost. The top of his head which was previously settled below the man's undercut moves along his hair, and he allows himself to instead place his nose and mouth right above that sensitive skin, breathing in with urgency and exhaling the air with a content sigh. 

He could stay right here forever, or that's what it feels like. At the same time, something inside him tells him that this isn't like him.

Placing his face there is a mistake. Because in that moment the alpha's body stiffens abruptly, and then he all but growls in a way that Eren can only translate as a warning gesture. 

Too much, probably. Too close.

And yet, he still can't force himself away completely. Instead, he softly rubs himself against the man again, and a noise leaves his hips that's not among those that Eren usually makes. He'd perhaps describe it as apologetic.

"I have no idea what you think you're doing, but you need to stop. You're going to get my scent all over you and that's going to give some people very wrong ideas," the raven declares in a serious tone, and Eren is amazed by his ability to talk normally and without sounding exhausted even as he jogs along the forest with a dazed omega on his back. 

"I'm not doing anything," he replies in a voice that sounds much lighter, more carefree than his own. By now, he's slightly worried that someone might have put something in his drink. But he didn't even drink anything earlier, and it all points in the direction of the alpha's scent. That's probably what's making him crazy, although it's weird since he has never in all his years on earth reacted to an alpha like that. Perhaps that situation earlier just happened to trigger something, something so deep in his nature that he cannot help but want more of where that came from.

But he isn't just his instincts. That sort of thing happens to other omegas perhaps, but not to him. 

And yet here he is, wanting to lick the skin of Levi's neck just so he gets an idea of what it would taste like. It's like falling into an abyss of thoughts and actions that feel weirdly foreign to the omega. 

"Kid, I'm not stupid. And neither are you. You're aware of what you're doing there, right? That's not a good fucking joke." 

Perhaps it's not the best idea to assume that Eren isn't stupid. Right now, he surely does feel very stupid, brainless even. Because he's not really focused on the conversation they're having at all, and instead busy analysing the way in which the man's muscles move while simultaneously, innocently moving his own scent gland closer and closer towards Levi's. He's kind of, sort of.. perhaps somewhere in the back of his mind aware that gestures like that mean a lot more than what they obviously look like, but that thought is too far away for him to hold onto now. He's letting his body do the thinking, and it sure knows what it wants. 

Thoughts that make sense have quietened down significantly ever since he started rubbing himself against Levi, and for whatever reason he suddenly remembers one of the many stories his mother has told him when he was younger, like a blurry vision.

Just a ridiculously romantic, fairy-tale type of story that revolves mainly around an old idea. A myth, so to speak. Apparently, for hundreds of years it has been believed that a certain few people in the world actually have what is called, a true mate. 

His mother's description of it was perhaps a bit romanticised, but one certain thing of the many that made those partnerships special stood out to Eren. 

It's said that when one happens to stumble upon their perfect match so to speak, they'll notice quickly that their logical thoughts bid them farewell, only to be replaced with an overwhelming desire to be around that person. Along with that, it's said that their smell feels like home, and that true mates always have a lesson to teach each other.

But this is just an old saying, probably born at the hands of a more or less creative writer or storyteller, and nothing that could actually be true. How in the world could his mother even tell him those stories as a kid, fully aware that he might very well be married to some stranger? That's just cruel, to put fantasies like that in a child's head when they don't mean anything in the real world. 

And even if it is a real thing, then Eren is sure it was just a coincidence that he remembered this just now.

Something like that would never happen to him, his own body and mind wouldn't betray him for such stupid reasons, right? Fate isn't as cruel as to force him into choosing someone, and definitely not his therapist of all people in the world. That's just ridiculous.

He manages to convince himself of that easily, with the help of the warm body he's resting against and that rich scent of tea, which surrounds him in the best of ways. 

-

The boy is fucking asking for it now and Levi is literally starting to get pissed because that's just his luck. Incidents of this sort have happened before, but right now Eren Jäger of all people in the world is being carried by him, while simultaneously scent marking him and pretending like it's perfectly normal. 

He knows that this isn't like the omega. This is not the cautious, rebellious person from yesterday. Or well, it sure is him but Levi has no idea what the reasons for his current behaviour are. His pupils are wide, and he's been obviously staring at Levi and smelling him, over and over again. Without a hint of subtlety, or resentment.

Even now, he can easily tell that the boy is subtly moving their necks together, and he's aware of the fact that this has gone too far. This is already an obvious gesture of scent marking, and it's sort of ironic for the boy who told him just a day ago that he cannot stand the scent of alphas whatsoever. But Levi is apparently more of a selfish bastard than he expected himself to be. 

Because while he's aware that Eren is here for training and nothing more, he cannot help the deeply content feeling in his chest that he's already trying to ignore. He likes the fact that Eren wants to drown himself in his scent as if it's expensive perfume. Hell, he even likes the weight of the boy on his back, and the way his breaths ghost over the skin of his neck, making it harder and harder for Levi to keep holding onto his self control, which is just wrong, but still true.

His inner alpha yells at him to show the boy how good he could make him feel. That he could scent mark him all over, throw him on a mattress and perhaps leave a permanent mark so everyone knows to stay away. 

But that's his stupid, animalistic side talking. That's not a possibility. 

Rationally, he knows that this isn't a good idea at all. Perhaps the worst of all thoughts he's ever had. The kid is seventeen, and he's been entrusted to Levi by his parents, for him to be prepared for his life with another alpha.   
Levi forces himself to not think about that particular bit of information, because his protective urges only make it harder for him to stay in control of his thoughts and ultimately, actions. 

Something weird is going on, and somehow he knows that it started when he first met Eren, because he's been trying to figure it out ever since.

Ever since then, things have started becoming more and more chaotic. 

Although he's certainly been trying to figure that mystery out and understand some of the boy's basic views and motivations. But Eren just keeps surprising him, first with his outbursts, then that random apology and now - now this. 

He's never been interested in any of the omegas who were brought to him, and yet he doesn't feel disgust or anger when he hears Eren's breathy voice say, "It's not a joke though. Would it be that bad if I smelled like you?"

In fact, it kind of makes him want to say that no, it certainly wouldn't be. But at the same time he knows that Eren isn't currently there mentally, or at least only partially. And he definitely doesn't want to be the kind of guy who takes advantage of a needy omega if he can avoid it. It would also cost him Eren's little trust in him, and most likely his job, too. Which is not necessarily a problem the alpha wants to create for himself. 

Although he certainly can't deny that apples and cinnamon aren't too bad of a smell. From this close, he can tell that the boy's smell is much more nuanced than just that, too. He wishes for a moment that they could switch places so Levi could have more access and analyse Eren's scent all he wants, but there's no innocent way of making that happen. It would probably only spur the boy's behavior on. And thereby, Levi's inappropriate thoughts as well. Fucking pheromones.

"Yes is would, and you don't really want that either," the raven says despite his conflicted thoughts, "and you're going to take a long shower once we get back, because we can't have you running around smelling like me." 

That's when the boy's soft movements come to a halt, and his smell instantly takes on a bitter note. And Levi knows that he probably fucked that whole 'building up trust' thing up with his words, but what else is he supposed to do? Let the boy do as he pleases only for him to come to his senses later and claim that he didn't want any of this? Fuck no. 

That's not happening.

He expected anger from the omega, but what happens next is worse than that. First, he feels the boy begin to tremble slightly, and then he hears the first soft noise that reveals to him that Eren is crying. Of fucking course. 

Apples and cinnamon are gone again, that perfectly sweet scent from before destroyed by the bitterness of the boy's emotions. The change almost hurts in a way, and there's instantly another conflict going on in Levi because he never knows how to handle crying people. And now, he's made an omega cry which is the last thing in the world his instincts would ever tell him to do. 

"Eren?" 

But the boy doesn't answer. He just continues to cry silently, and if it weren't for Levi's ability to pick up on subtle changes in his smell, he would have no clue at all just how bad the boy is feeling. It's like Levi took a metaphorical knife and stabbed his damn heart, if the scent is anything to go by. 

And knowing omegas, he's very well aware of the fact that even small mistakes like this one can easily be a trauma of sorts to someone in an emotionally vulnerable state. Which is the last thing he wants to achieve, he doesn't want to traumatise Eren further or give him the impression that he doesn't care about him. 

It's just that the boy is asking for something from him that he really cannot, and shouldn't give him. It's one of the most basic rules they are taught before working here with the teenagers. To keep up healthy boundaries. 

But there's nothing healthy about the way Eren is starting to cry more and more on his back, or the fact that he doesn't even answer. Knowing that the boy is a sobbing mess does this weird thing to him, like a sort of pressure that fills up his chest and makes breathing somewhat harder. He sort of wishes he could look the boy in the eye, see the omega's normal, annoyed and wary look directed at him - he'd even prefer to be insulted, much rather than knowing that Eren is crying. 

Because of what he said, because of him. 

"If it makes you feel better, continue rubbing yourself against my 'sweaty'," he emphasised Eren's earlier choice word, "neck. But you still need to shower afterwards, there's no way around that. "

At first Levi thinks that there won't even be a reaction to his words, but it doesn't take that long until he can feel the boy place his head on his left shoulder, rubbing the side of his head against Levi 's neck with soft motions, just like he did before. 

Levi keeps on jogging forward, and after a while he feels the omega's movements still. "Thanks, Levi," he hears Eren saying, and just minutes later, he's certain that the boy has fallen asleep while being carried. 

Levi tries to tell himself that this situation isn't as bad as it may seem. After all, it's only scent marking. It's widely known that omegas can effectively be calmed down by the closeness and the pheromones of an alpha, although he honestly didn't expect Eren to fall into that category of omegas, not after what he's seen of him. It could still make sense for Eren to want comfort though, after all the boy seems to be on edge most of the time.   
Whatever the case, he'll make sure to call Hanji and let her come over once Eren has showered. Levi has a feeling that it'd be better to get the blood results sooner rather than later. If only to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong with Eren. But the strangeness and strength of his smell and his changes in attitude and behavior could very well be a sign of some hormonal deficiencies. That's the only possible reason for this, Levi tells himself as he carries the sleeping omega back to the house.

-

Eren wakes up on the couch in the living room with no idea why or how he managed to end up falling asleep here. He cannot really remember his dreams, and his mind is slow to supply him with memories as to what caused him to wake up here rather than in the bed. 

After a few seconds, though, he notices something weird. It makes him scrunch up his nose and make a face, it makes him open his eyes just to make sure he isn't sleeping on some of Levi's clothing or something. 

But he isn't. And yet, he smells the alpha clear as day, despite the fact that he doesn't even seem to be in this room currently. It takes him a bit longer until the realisation hits the omega that this scent is all over him. In his hair, his clothes, overpowering his own and creating a sort of mixture between both of their distinctive smells. 

It feels weird, unusual. 

As if that in itself doesn't give him a worried feeling, the memories of what happened during their morning run come back to him with worrying clarity; from almost fainting to rubbing himself against Levi like possessed. It's all there, all of a sudden.

It instantly has his cheeks feeling hot, and there's no way to accurately describe just how embarrassed he is by his own behavior. How could he have accepted -no, wanted - this? He remembers the intense warmth and happiness that he found, being so close to the alpha, and that honestly scares him shitless now, because it actually feels like he lost himself for about half an hour or so there.

What in the world is he going to say to Levi about that, he wonders. What in the world does the alpha think of him now? He must literally think that Eren is crazy, and unable to control his most primal urges.

Or maybe not, but Eren certainly is worried that it appeared that way. 

And because he doesn't know how to deal with that, he instead wonders why in the world Levi would offer to carry him when Eren already was in this weird state of craving touch and closeness. He really wants to get angry about that, but his rational mind tells Eren that he couldn't have run back in his earlier state. Carrying him had been the best solution. 

And the alpha had also tried to stop him, but being the stubborn fuck Eren is, he clearly didn't stop. He can't understand it now, how he was able to even do all of this so shamelessly. It's nothing he's ever done before, nothing he has any positive memories associated with.

He's never rubbed himself against someone to put their scent on him, or willingly let someone do such a thing to him. Without his agreement, a few people have, and perhaps the only reason why Eren didn't freak out and relive those memories is that this time, he initiated it. 

Levi didn't do anything, barely even reacted. So maybe that explains the lack of fear Eren felt, but certainly not the fact that he even enjoyed and wanted it, though subconsciously. 

"Eren? You're awake," Levi greets him, giving the omega a look that could mean anything really. It definitely invites Eren to explain himself, though. 

"Yeah, I, uh.. assume you carried me back and put me on the couch?" he asks the obvious, still very aware of the fact that he smells like Levi. Intensely so, and it's distracting, very much so.

"I thought you could use a few minutes of rest," the alpha says and comes to stand beside the couch, looking Eren in the eyes sharply. 

"What was up with you earlier? If your heat is approaching, you need to tell me so we can prepare for that," the alpha asks mercilessly, apparently unwilling to ignore the topic and pretend like nothing happened. 

Not that Eren expected him to, really. 

That still doesn't mean that he's mentally prepared to form an answer, though. Instead, his face heats up in the worst of ways, and he cannot even stand to keep up the eye contact. 

And then, he's at a loss for words, too. 

"No, that's not it. I- uh, have another two weeks or so until my heat begins,"he tells Levi, although he definitely doesn't like talking about that topic. It's something personal, something you don't usually go around telling people. 

"If that's not it, then why the fuck did you do that?" Levi asks him, more forcibly now. 

"I don't know, okay? How in the world should I know why I'd do something so stupid. I just woke up with your damn scent all over me, and let me tell you, that wasn't a nice feeling. I don't know why I did that, and I don't want to talk about it," Eren yells back at the man, crossing his arms and feeling his pulse rise as the weight of the situation sets in. 

Eren fucking hates alphas and their inability to be sensitive with such topics. Can Levi not guess that he needs to think about it himself before being able to provide all the answers? 

"We need to talk about it though. Because if you keep having these mood swings and doing things like this, I'm just going to assume you're crazy. I'm not the one who scent marked you all over, and I'm damn sure not sorry you had to experience waking up with my smell on you when you're the one who wouldn't stop although I asked you to," Levi says in that serious tone of his, apparently starting to get more annoyed now as well.

That answer isn't one that Eren likes at all, and he can basically feel his whole body burn with anger, because Levi makes it sound like Eren was fully aware of what he's doing, which was clearly not the case at all. It's not like he really wanted all of that to happen. 

"You know what's both crazy and stupid? The fact that someone like you, who works in a place like this, has the nerve to act as if I'm the insane one now. You think I want to be here? You think I would have done that if I wasn't completely out of it, which I'm sure you noticed as well!" 

 

That sudden outburst shuts Levi up for a few seconds thankfully, and Eren uses those seconds in which the man is just glaring at him to announce that he's going to shower, without waiting for an answer. He has his arms crossed when he passes the alpha, making sure to keep his distance as he does so. 

Once Eren is inside the bathroom, he quickly loses his clothes and puts them in the corner, glad to finally be rid of those things, the smell clings onto them after all. Before he moves into the shower however, he comes to stand in front of the bathroom mirror, staring himself in the eyes as if doing it long enough would inevitably create a sort of understanding between himself and his inner omega. Somehow though, it feels a bit like looking at a stranger. Like he failed to keep himself in check, and now he cannot even trust himself anymore at all. It's a truly scary feeling, and quite disheartening, too. 

What if something like that ends up happening again? What if Eren loses himself because of his instincts? If something as simple as the smell of an alpha can turn him into a brainless creature?

He's not entirely sure. All he knows is that in his current state, he definitely doesn't enjoy smelling like an alpha. Like that alpha. And the calming, addictive feeling the scent caused inside him before is now replaced with something along the lines of nausea and bitterness.

That's why he ends the staring contest with himself relatively quickly, and instead jumps into the shower, turning it up way too hot and using too much soap in the process of cleaning himself. It's as if he cannot get rid of that scent completely though, because he still smells it even after more than 20 minutes of violent scrubbing. His skin is starting to get irritated by it as well, but the urge to get that marking off him is stronger than the discomfort that's bordering on pain coming from the hot water. 

Once he finally deems himself clean, Eren steps out of the shower, wondering if he was even supposed to shower here or rather in those public showers, but it's not like he really cares about those stupid rules anyway. If there's a shower in here, then why shouldn't he use it? 

He takes one of the big, green towels after leaving the shower, and wraps himself up in that. At least it smells like freshly washes clothes and not like Levi, which is very, very welcome. 

With the intention of making his way over to his room without being noticed, Eren closes the door behind him softly, letting his eyes travel through the room and starting to make his way into the bedroom when a scent he doesn't yet know fills his nose. 

The scent of another omega, if Eren is correct. And although he sort of wants to know who's here, he's also content to not find out and instead hole up in his room and try to forever stay away from Levi, as much as possible.

Something about being here with him doesn't feel healthy, because it causes Eren to act in ways that are foreign to him. And yet, it also makes him think of things he'd much rather not be reminded of. Washing someone else's smell off of himself, for example. That's happened before, and it never gets any nicer.

He always ends up feeling like he doesn't really belong to himself anymore, so long until the person's smell fades completely. 

Although the situation right now is still different than others. No one forced himself on Eren. 

Instead, he basically forced himself on someone else, and that doesn't feel all to great either, especially since Levi made it pretty clear that he didn't enjoy it, he probably only let Eren do as he pleased for the sake of not making him cry. 

Pity isn't something Eren wants from anyone, and that makes it even worse that Levi obviously did pity him.

It makes his fists clench, and Eren isn't sure whether to be mad at himself or the other. In the end though, he's pretty sure that he's mad at the both of them. 

"Eren, there you are," a most likely female, intense voice yells, and Eren doesn't know who this is, or how they know his name. All he knows is that in two seconds, he'd have been in his room, and of course something had to get in his way. 

Deciding that he's not in the mood, the omega pretends like he didn't even hear anything, and heads towards his room and his clothes, not looking behind himself once. When he's finally behind the closed door, a sigh leaves the boy's lips and he grabs a freshly washed uniform, and moves to sit on the mattress of his bed. 

He puts the clothes on one after another, throws the towel on the floor and finally moves his fingers through his wet hair. Whether it's in an attempt to comb it, or simply to soothe his mind, he isn't sure. All he knows is that he really, really needs to get out of here before he really does lose his mind entirely. Today was bad enough already. 

After about fourty seconds of sitting on the bed and staring into nothingness, there's a knock on the door, and Eren can't say he didn't expect it. 

That doesn't mean that he appreciates it at all though. 

And his answer isn't to open the door, instead he opts for yelling loud enough that it's easily heard through the closed door, "can't I have two damn minutes of alone time before you have to invade my fucking privacy again?" and hopes that it gets the alpha to go away without further questions. 

Of course it doesn't. Instead, there's another knock and this time Eren downright refuses to react, because he already made his statement. 

And then, the door opens, and Levi doesn't look too happy. In fact, he looks like he's probably having a headache. 

"There's someone here who wants to meet you, and it's important. It was also kind of rude of you to just ignore her when she talked to you." 

"I've got to be allowed to put on clothes before greeting whoever it is that's so important," the boy says sarcastically, making sure to show it in his face that he doesn't want to talk to anyone at all, including Levi, at the moment. 

All he wants is some time to think things over and get rid of those memories that he just had to be reminded of, as if his day wasn't shitty enough yet. And it's not even that late in the day.

"Sure, and you're dressed now, so I assume you're ready?"

"No, I'm not, but it's not as if I have a choice anyway," Eren deadpans, and Levi looks at him with a hint of worry that only makes Eren feel more annoyed in return. He gets off the bed and walks past the alpha with quick steps, not waiting up for him. Eren can smell that Levi isn't in the best of moods either, and at least that's somewhat of a good thing. 

The alpha must have thought that, because of his sudden uncontrollable urges earlier, Eren was not going to be as hard to handle anymore, but that's a dead wrong assumption. It annoys Eren that Levi might have thought something of that sort, but it definitely motivates him to show the other that it's not the case at all. 

He doesn't want to be close to the other, he wants to get away from him. And it was stupid to even think that the man might have sort of a soft spot for Eren, perhaps. Obviously, he's just doing his job, and trying to mess with Eren's mind in the process for fun or whatever. 

That's not going to work however, because Eren isn't half a stupid as alphas like to make omegas feel. 

And despite what Levi might be thinking, he doesn't have a clue who Eren really is, or what he's like. He doesn't know him. And all Eren knows is that he wants it to stay that way, which is why he won't ever lose control over himself like earlier again, no thanks. 

"There you are, it's nice to meet you! My name is Hanji, and I'm here to check up on you. Just the usual tests, nothing to worry about. Really," the brunette comes into view suddenly, and Eren feels a little bit intimidated by the omega's eyes. She looks at him in a way that no doctor should, more like she's trying to study his every feature to draw it later or something. There's a bit of insanity in her gaze.

Apparently Hanji notices his hesitation, because an explanation quickly follows.   
"Sorry, it's just been a long time since we've had a male omega here. You're very pretty, I like your eyes." 

"Hanji, stop creeping him out and do your job," Eren is surprised to hear Levi say to her. 

"His eyes are exceptionally pretty though, aren't they? I've been studying the human body for years, and it never fails to amaze me. You can't tell me you didn't notice that color," the conversation goes on, and now Hanji is giving Levi a knowing look, while Eren just sits there uncomfortably, somehow still angry and somehow a bit embarrassed because of the... compliments? Or much rather, the fact that they're talking about him like that. Sure, he's a male omega and that's not too common, but it isn't that rare either.

And his eyes have oftentimes been complimented on, but it's always a weird compliment to get. He's just been born with that eyecolor, and that's it. Apparently, some people do enjoy it very much though, they seem to see more in that color than he ever has.

But Levi doesn't answer Hanji's question, and it's not like Eren wants to know what he thinks of his eyes... or maybe, he's a bit curious about that. 

"You didn't come here to stare at his eyes or get on my nerves, Hanji. As I've said before, do your job," Levi repeats, and apparently, this time it gets through to her. 

"Oh, right. First things first, how are you feeling, Eren?" she asks, and Eren isn't sure how to answer that question. Horrified by his own behavior? Sad, lonely and locked away? Incredibly confused?

All of the above, somehow. 

"I've been better," he tells her eventually, if only to get this over with. 

"You don't seem to like it here very much, but it's only your second day, don't worry. Levi here may be strict, but he's not as much of a devil as he appears to be on first glance," Hanji says and grins at the alpha who only gives her a deadly look, but doesn't otherwise bother to comment. 

"Have you had any medical problems lately? Anything I need to be aware of?" 

Eren isn't so sure what she's trying to get at, and he only hopes that Levi hasn't told her anything about today's occurrences. 

"Nope, nothing. Why are you even here, really?" Eren asks, and gives the only alpha in the room a suspicious look. 

"Just standard tests. You're new here, and we need to make sure you're healthy," Levi holds Eren's gaze and answers in Hanji's place. 

The brunette nods, and suddenly pulls a syringe out of nowhere, while putting on white disposable latex gloves. She grins at him, "I hope you're not afraid of needles, Eren? This doesn't hurt at all, I swear. Let me just disinfect your skin, we wouldn't want it to get infected." 

And that woman is enthusiastic about what she's doing. 

She's already by Eren's side, spraying that cold disinfectant on him, and apparently searching his arms for the right spot. While both Eren and Levi watch her do her thing, and it sort of makes Eren a bit nervous. He's not that afraid of needles to be honest, but it's still been a while and he has never liked that feeling. 

Once Hanji seems satisfied, she holds the cold metal against Eren's skin and tells him that she's counting to three, only to jam it in at number two instead. 

It doesn't really hurt, but it still surprises him, and makes him shut his eyes for a second. When he reopens them, Levi is staring at him with a very weird, intense expression on his face, looking very stiff even for his standards. But Eren's attention returns to Hanji then. She's got a little bit of his blood now, and looks happy with that, storing it in a special little box and putting that into her leather bag.

"That went well! You're tougher than you look, Eren. I like that," Hanji praises him, with a smile on her face yet again. 'She sure does have lots of energy,' Eren thinks to himself, and finds himself unsure how to respond to that, because although it's a compliment it sort of.. isn't? 

"Can I go back to my room now?" the omega asks, though he's already moving to stand up and walk away. 

Thankfully, neither of the two tries to stop him, and Hanji yells a "see you soon!" towards him, to which he only vaguely replies with a, "Sure. Goodbye." 

Eren disappears inside him room then, hoping that it'll be at least an hour or so until he's forced out of there again. He definitely has some thinking to do, that much is clear. And he honestly isn't too enthusiastic about going grocery shopping with Levi at all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! I've been really busy in the last weeks, but here's the new chapter finally (:  
> thanks to everyone who likes this story and comments and everything, it means so much !

Back in the room that he calls his own for now, Eren isn't so sure what to do with himself. Although he's glad to be by himself, it also leaves him alone with his thoughts, and they aren't too pretty. With his head resting on folded arms, he stares at the ceiling as if the white surface will supply him with answers. His mind keeps drifting back to his earlier loss of control, to the lack of resistance that he felt for moments. He recalls the way Levi could help him breathe, and the way it felt, just breathing together with him.. Until he felt alright again. 

For whatever reason, those thoughts both exhaust and anger him at the same time. Simply giving up during the run would have been bad enough, but instead he ended up overdoing it, and needed to be saved like a damsel in distress thanks to that. That's not a role he sees himself playing though, and the fact that it was Levi of all people who saved him is the worst part of it. It's both embarrassing and annoying.

Because it feels like the man isn't going to just accept the 'I don't know' as a reason for his behavior. If anything, Eren guesses that he's dying to understand, because as far as he can tell, the alpha has never had problems understanding any of the omegas that were sent here. That's what he assumes at least. And yet, he asked Eren, instead of figuring it all out by himself.

Which doesn't make it clear how he sees the situation however, and now Eren feels sick thinking about the fact that perhaps, even now the man understands more of what happened than Eren does. 

Then again, how in the world could anyone understand what happened, when even the omega himself doesn't have a clue? Sure, hormones can make people do crazy things and Eren doesn't have a doubt in his mind that Levi is a damn powerful alpha who could probably influence almost anyone with his scent, but this feels like it's more than just that for some reason. 

Nobody's smell should be able to do that to someone who isn't interested in them, and especially when he's not even in heat it just honestly doesn't make any sense. The thought of spending his heat here scares the brunette even more now than it has before. Just how in the world should he not be afraid of that week, when his self control already failed him with a mostly clear mind? What's he going to do in that state, plagued by the inevitable insatiability and emotional vulnerability that comes with each cycle?

Besides, he's never had an alpha around during it that wasn't part of his family, and even they keep their distance at that time. On the one hand, the omega desperately wants to ask questions and find out just how they handle the matter here, but there's no way in hell he's asking Levi about that. He doesn't need to present himself as even more needy and insecure than he already has. 

Yet again, there's a knock on the door, and it catches the omega by surprise, causing his head to instantly turn towards the door. 

Behind the opening door, there stands no one else but Levi, the subject of Eren's every current worry, with a small white suitcase in his right hand. It reminds the boy of a businessman of sorts, and he almost finds the though of a small businessman getting only a small suitcase amusing, but a moment later the boy remembers that their plans for today aren't yet finished. Which he doesn't find too amusing at all. 

The alpha doesn't say a word as he comes closer to Eren's bed, and the omega isn't entirely whether it's just him, but the situation definitely seems a bit weird. Neither of the two says anything, not until Levi is standing right beside the bed. 

"Give me your arm," the alpha commands, and Eren only replies with a blank stare, not understanding anything anymore. 

He doesn't need to, apparently, because the alpha takes the matter into his own hand, reaching across the bed and pulling the tanned arm towards him as he sits down by the edge of the mattress. 

At this, all of Eren's alarms start ringing because of all places he wants to be right now, on a bed with this alpha is his last choice in the world.

"Stop panicking," Levi tells him but gives no further clue as to what he's doing. Or well, he's currently staring at Eren's arm, but that still doesn't explain much to the omega at all. 

"I'm not panicking," Eren replies too quick, despite the fact that he's still very aware of how the man's pale fingers hold his arm, and the fact that there really isn't a lot of space between them. And then, there's the alpha's smell again, as if it isn't everywhere within the house, but it's much less intense than after their earlier training. 

"Stop lying," the alpha replies in a calm tone, and proceeds to open the white suitcase, which Eren now realises is a first aid kit. 

"Fucking Hanji. The shithead's a doctor, but she didn't even bother to put disinfectant on the wound after taking your blood," he mutters, mostly to himself, and at this, Eren isn't at all sure what to say. 'Wound? More like a tiny red spot,' Eren thinks but keeps that opinion to himself. 

Instead, he just watches with focus as the alpha proceeds to put some liquid on a cotton pad , and brings it to the red spot with a gentleness that sort of surprises the omega to be honest. As expected, the man makes sure that it is definitely properly done, before putting the pad away and apparently searching for something else. 

"You didn't need to do this, it doesn't even hurt," Eren tells him, looking at his own arm and avoiding those cold eyes.

"Even small bruises can get infected, and she shouldn't have forgotten that," the raven tells him, and it's weird how adamant he is about doing this, but Eren has the feeling that no arguing in the world would stop the man from doing what he deems necessary. So he just stays there, unmoving despite the feeling that his personal space is being invaded here. 

Eventually, the man seems to find what he is looking for, which turns out to be a bright pink band-aid with tiny flowers on it that's way too big for the tint red spot, and by now Eren is pretty sure the man is mocking him or something, because who in the world uses a band-aid that looks like this? 

"I really don't need one," Eren tries to tell him, but before the sentence is even finished, he's got the damn pink thing on his arm, which Levi lets go just a second after he's finished with his business. 

"Just keep it on there until tomorrow morning, and then you're fine to take it off," he says in that deep voice of his, and just for the sake of giving both of them somewhat of a break, Eren simply nods, eyes still glued to the pink that stands out on his skin like a very unflattering tattoo. 

"Why the pink flowers?" the omega cannot help but ask after a few seconds, because he really, really cannot imagine Levi somewhere buying the most childish looking flowery band-aid he's ever seen. 

A shadow of a smirk comes to the alpha's lips then, and he answers, "Hanji buys all sorts of weird doctor stuff, some of which she ends up giving me. Like those. There's ones with dinosaurs too, but I thought you'd like the flowers better." 

It doesn't really matter either way, but Eren still feels a bit annoyed at that fact. Does the alpha need to mock him every chance he gets? Has this morning not been embarrassing enough already to give him a break now? 

"Very funny," Eren comments, but doesn't receive an answer to that. 

Instead, the mattress moves slightly as Levi stands up from the bed and moves to stand in front of it. "Are you ready to get going? Today has been eventful enough already, and I'm not the sort of person who enjoys grocery shopping, so let's just get it over with."

It makes Eren honestly wonder if there's anything at all the alpha enjoys besides being an ass to him, but in a way he does agree. He isn't too enthusiastic about it either, and yet it's a chance to get out of the house, at least for a bit. He tells himself that while nodding, "Sure, let's go."

 

-

Levi cannot quite understand why he felt that intense need to take care of Eren's arm, but now that that's over and done with, he finally doesn't feel as stressed anymore. Of course it's unlikely that a small wound such as that will get infected, but it's still a possibility and in the end that was enough to make him go to Eren's room and put something on it, although the omega stubbornly insisted that there's no need to do anything about it and looked at him like he was crazy.

In the moment Hanji put that needle into Eren's arm, Levi had literally almost stopped her, but that would have inevitably lead her to question his behavior. Which he himself is questioning enough as it is. He hasn't nearly told the woman everything that's on his mind, and so far she only knows to look for some sort of abnormality in the omega's blood, but nothing of the occurrences of the morning. 

For now, he isn't going to tell her though. Not before the results are back, and maybe they'll be enough of an explanation in themselves. 

He checks the time, and waits by the front door for Eren to arrive from the bathroom. Hanji should call sometime in the evening, and once he and the omega are done buying whatever they need to buy, he can finally enjoy somewhat of a calm evening, perhaps. With last night's lack of sleep and after carrying Eren around for almost 30 minutes in the morning, even Levi is starting to feel a bit exhausted. Or maybe it isn't so much that as it is the constant questions running through his head that he cannot seem to stop. 

Finally, Eren appears with soft steps, looking Levi in the eye when he comes to stand beside him. 

"Since you don't seem to like listening to rules too much, I'm going to make this very clear for you. I'm allowing you to come with me so you get to decide what you want to eat, and learn to cook. I can also imagine that you don't want to be in here all day, every day. It's a privilege, and you'll lose it if you try to run away, get into a fight with anyone or otherwise cause trouble for me. Understand?" he asks and gives the boy his best death stare, showing him that he means what he's saying. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'll behave, sure," is the answer the teenager gives him, of course not without making the words sound dismissive and sarcastic. He does that an awful lot, and Levi isn't a stranger to those sorts of answers at all. It only serves to remind him that Eren is still very young, and apparently sarcasm is a way he uses to keep up a certain distance between himself and others. 

That's why he doesn't feel too provoked by the boy's words, and instead reminds himself that even if the omega tries to do anything of the above, he'll be able to handle the situation. 

Not too many of the trainers working here even allow the kids to get off the property at all, but the raven is an exception to that. He likes to give people a chance, and it's only when they disappoint him that he resorts to the 'no leaving the house' policy. 

As Eren and him make their way to the parking lot by the entrance of the building, he takes note of the way those green eyes look around, taking in the details of the place, as if the boy is creating a map of sorts in his head, and Levi isn't stupid enough to not realise that if he gives Eren the chance to at some point, he'll probably run away. Which is why despite his own inner conflicts concerning this particular omega, he cannot let the boy's smell or his own weird thoughts distract him from his job. 

They reach the car within two minutes, and Levi sort of expects the boy to comment on the fact that he drives an old, black pick up that's definitely seen better days, but no words leave the omega's mouth and he instead just stands by the passenger door, waiting for Levi to open it. 

"Can I pick out the music? Since I don't have a phone to listen to music anymore, I sort of feel like I'm having withdrawal symptoms," Eren asks him the second they're sitting inside, and the alpha cannot help but give a small chuckle at just how eager he sounds. It sort of makes Levi want to blackmail him into talking about what happened earlier, but he knows that it probably wouldn't be any use. He'd most likely just cause the boy to shut down again by doing that, which is why he answers with a nod instead. If it makes the boy feel a little bit better, then allowing him such a small joy can't do any harm. And he gets to see a small smile on the brunette's face, which is definitely a welcome change.

So he turns the key around, and as soon as the engine starts, Eren has his fingers on the buttons of the radio, switching through the channels until he finds something that appears to be to his liking. It turns out to be an old Pink Floyd song he chooses, but Levi can't seem to remember the name.

It's not a long drive to the closest shop, just about ten minutes or maybe a bit more, and it's sort of strange to see Eren sitting in his car like this. Despite the boy's tendency to be a bit closed off and generally not too fond of Levi, he seems to feel pretty at home in his car, if the tapping of his fingers against the glass or the way he casually changes stations on the radio is anything to go by. It's a welcome change though, to see the boy look almost carefree, and for a moment that makes Levi wonder how many sides of him he hasn't seen, perhaps won't ever see. 

Eren definitely is a strange kid, in many different ways. 

It nearly makes Levi think of this morning yet again, of how easy it seemed for the boy to fall into his breathing rhythm and how happy he smelled whenever he was allowed to get close to Levi. Just like a peaceful winter evening sometime before Christmas, and definitely very, very sweet. So sweet in fact, that Levi is internally counting down the hours until Hanji calls and can hopefully give him answers to questions he isn't sure how to formulate entirely. 

There's a look that resembles disappointment in those turquoise eyes when the omega notices that they've arrived, and damn, that kid really does seem to enjoy music. But after all, a lot of teenagers do. 

"Remember to stay next to me, yeah?" Levi asks again, although he's quite sure that Eren does remember that. He still wants to make it clear, because there's honestly no need for Eren to run off or anything, not when there are people around and the boy doesn't really have a clue where he is anyway. 

Eren answers with a mock salute, coupled with an "I already said I'm not going to try anything." 

It makes Levi stare at him for another two seconds or so before the two of them leave the car and head into the thankfully not too busy supermarket, Eren walking slightly in front of the alpha. 

"Is there anything in particular you want?"

"Mmh," Eren mumbles in response, apparently thinking things through before he starts walking a little faster and turns to the right. Levi keeps up with his fast steps, wondering what the boy is so enthusiastic about buying. 

As they stand in front of the shelf filled with artificial and sugary drinks, he cannot help but want to roll his eyes. Of course he wants to buy something unhealthy. 

"You know that this shit both gives you diabetes and makes you fat?" Levi asks him in a deadpan tone, his eyes travelling across the various plastic bottles filled with heart attacks waiting to happen. 

In turn, Eren looks a bit offended, but no less motivated to grab three bottles of coke and put them into their shopping cart. "I'm not stupid, okay? And I'm not fat either. I just can't drink water all the time, it doesn't even taste like anything." 

"You could drink tea instead, that's what I do. I don't usually allow unhealthy food or drinks," the man tells the omega, but the answer doesn't seem to satisfy him at all. 

"Tea isn't bad, but I can't drink tea all day," Eren says before his eyes light up and he apparently has thought of something. "Also, you just said you don't.. usually allow that. So can this be an exception then?" he asks, giving Levi that deadly puppy stare which the man knows is a tool of manipulation, but that doesn't really change the fact that it makes Levi want to give in and allow him to have his stupid sugary beverage. 

"Just this once, but not three bottles. Two at most, and we're buying extra healthy food to make up for it." 

Green eyes light up again, and Eren grins stupidly at the alpha, "Thanks, that's awesome!"

It would be a lie to say that Levi's inner alpha isn't pleased with that reaction. The boy smells like he just received some long awaited Christmas gift, although it's literally just such two stupid bottles. How Eren manages to get so excited for little things, Levi honestly cannot tell, but it intrigues him somehow. There's a childlike quality about it, and it yet again has the alpha wondering why in the world he's even noticing such small details. Had any omega he's had here before asked him for this, he would have just simply made it clear that no, they can drink water like any normal person should. 

But Eren asked him to make an exception, and that's literally all it took for Levi to make one. That in itself is more than worrisome, but he can't exactly take it back now either. Or maybe he could, but since Eren smells so happy and content now, he doesn't really want to. 

Which is why he just keeps on walking, keeping his eyes on Eren so he doesn't get any ideas about running off. Although right now, it doesn't really seem like he's plotting anything, but it wouldn't be the first time for the teenager to catch him by surprise. 

"We'll need vegetables for a salad, noodles, mushrooms. Also potatoes and some curry powder. And rice. For now, we're mainly going to attempt simple recipes that I'm sure you'll learn quick enough. Is there anything you like to eat, or anything you don't eat that I need to be aware of?" 

"I eat pretty much anything. No meat though, I'm a vegetarian in the process of becoming a vegan," Eren tells him, and pauses to think. "As for what I like to eat... Maybe something sweet? I'm not big on cooking but I've always liked baking."

That sort of surprises Levi yet again, because he didn't exactly take Eren for a vegetarian. Judging by the sweetened drinks he picked out, Levi would have assumed that he's the type of person to stuff his face with burgers and the alike as well. Although, the boy has the tendency to question the system and traditions, so it does make sense.

"I'm not much of a meat eater myself, so that shouldn't be a problem," the alpha says, "and I have most things needed for baking in the house so unless you want to make anything extraordinary, we don't need to buy that stuff." In response to that, Eren nods with a small smile on his face, although he doesn't seem too interested in either cooking or baking to be honest. Levi can't exactly blame him though, most people like eating better than preparing food anyway. 

So the two of them make their way through the supermarket, finding everything that's on their list, and even some more things that Eren sees and whenever he asks Levi with that bit of excitement in his eyes, the raven cannot help but allow him to put it in the cart. That's yet again something unusual, because he usually makes a point to leave out unnecessary things. But Eren wasn't lying when he said that he likes to eat a lot of things.

In the end, they've got a whole lot of stuff, probably enough to last them a whole week, and yet Levi hasn't complained once, despite the fact that he always tries to spend as little time in supermarkets as possible. Today though, he can't exactly say how many minutes it's been. 

By the time they stand in the checkout, Eren seems to be in an unusually good mood, and he doesn't give Levi that usual, mistrustful look as much anymore. It's a small thing, but it does considerably lighten the somewhat uncomfortable tension that's between them most of the time. 

Of course Levi isn't as naive as to assume that the boy suddenly changed his mind about alphas and is ready to truly cooperate with him or anything, but it's still a good thing to see him in a relatively light mood. Perhaps, the boy just honestly cannot stand being forced to stay in that place against his will. Which Levi can understand, because freedom is something he's always valued as well. If something as small as going shopping with him makes his stay more comfortable for the omega, he can definitely include him into his next grocery shopping as well. 

Or maybe Levi is getting a bit ahead of himself, because while he does recognise the fact that he likes to see Eren happy, he also has a job to do. Which means that Eren will most likely not be happy all the time. Surely, the omega always has the fact somewhere in the back of his mind that he'll be forced into a marriage eventually. That's not something you entirely forget even in more carefree moments after all. Especially since he doesn't seem to want any alpha, and is most likely already quite afraid of what will happen once he does get a partner. 

But those aren't the right things to think about now, not when he needs to be very aware of both his surroundings and anything Eren might do, Levi realises quickly. He cannot take the omega with him and then be distracted like this.

Once he does look at Eren, he notices that the boy's eyes seem to keep traveling towards the girl standing in line before them. She's got dark hair bordering on black, and is so thin that it almost looks unhealthy, and when Levi follows the boy's gaze, he notices that her brown eyes are focused on his own. It's easy to tell that the girl is an omega; her smell is sweet like a flower field. 

He quirks a brow at Eren's odd behavior, continuing to watch Eren as he glares at the other omega. 

"What's got you looking like you're plotting a murder now?" Levi asks, quietly so only the two of them can hear it. 

Eren in turn seems surprised to be spoken to, and his attention instantly shifts toward the alpha. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," he says, but of course Levi doesn't buy it. He's used to the way in which Eren answers, or evades answering, by now.

"Is anything wrong?" the alpha asks him, sort of worried that Eren might actually have a problem just being around other people. Which wouldn't be good, because if he has a problem with other omegas as well, then Levi isn't quite sure yet how well he'll be able to help him with that. It would definitely make his task even more complicated.

"Actually," Eren says, his eyes focused on Levi's, "I'm feeling a bit dizzy, maybe I'll get the flu or something." 

Well, that's definitely something Levi hopes won't happen, because he's not a big fan of sick people at all. Being around someone who's sick always gives him this urge to clean every few hours for the sake of getting rid of the germs, while simultaneously wanting to stay away. Gladly, he doesn't get sick easily, but when he does once in a while, it's torture to the alpha.

Without really thinking it over, he reaches out and places his hand on the omega's forehead, pushing his fringe aside and feeling the warmth of his skin underneath. Eren seems too surprised to react for a moment, his mouth open and his eyes widening at the sudden touch. His skin does feel warm underneath Levi's fingers, but not hot to the point where he'd start to worry. 

"Your forehead feels fine," the alpha says and when he removes his hand, the boy's eyes follow his movement. Levi can tell that the Eren steps a little closer towards him, but he still keeps up a reasonable amount of distance between them. It still feels like the girl is watching him, or their interaction to be more precise. 

-

When the omega in front of them yet again undresses Levi with her eyes, Eren has half a mind to spit in her general direction and hope that he hits her face. He's not twelve anymore unfortunately though, and that probably wouldn't be the wisest idea. 

In fact, the omega isn't entirely sure why it bothers him this much, but it's probably because she's so obvious about it. That's just painful to watch, and besides, Levi is here with him, and not looking for an omega, at least as far as Eren can tell. 

Which is why it's totally reasonable to give her the deadliest stare he can muster, but even that doesn't seem to be enough to get her eyes off the raven. Perhaps, maybe that's why Eren ends up telling Levi that he isn't feeling too well, and judging by her annoyed look, she's not at all pleased with the fact that it shifts the alpha's attention towards Eren just fine. In fact, Levi almost instantly reacts by feeling Eren's forehead for his temperature, rubbing the scent glands on his wrist into the brown hair of his fringe in the process.

Under normal circumstances that would definitely bother Eren more than it does now. It should be enough to give the girl an idea of how unwanted she is here.

Except, apparently it isn't. 

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice that you don't have a mark anywhere, and you seem like an.. interesting man. Would you like to maybe meet up for a cup of coffee or something?" her high voice appears suddenly, clearly nervous, but her intentions are still so obvious that it makes Eren close his eyes for a second as he takes a deep breath. It's not entirely reasonable perhaps, for him to get such a desire to tell her off, but that doesn't stop him from yet again maneuvering himself a bit towards Levi. The man seems a bit surprised himself, and just as he opens his mouth to answer, Eren fails at holding himself back. 

"Sorry, but he's not interested," he says, his voice sounding like it doesn't too often, somewhat poisonous. 

"If he isn't, he can tell me that himself, or can't he? It doesn't look like the two of you are mates, but correct me if I'm wrong," she says in a tone that makes it clear that she doesn't want to be corrected at all. Then, she proceeds to search Eren's neck for a mark from a distance, and grins when she doesn't find one. 

At this, Eren gives the alpha in front of him a blank stare who's looking at him with an almost amused expression. Of course they aren't anything like that, the idea in itself is absurd. But still, Eren is definitely not in the mood to back down to her, because it really feels like she's challenging him.

"We don't need to have marks on our necks, just telling you to fuck off should be enough to get you to stop bothering us," he spits back at her, surprising even himself with the amount of annoyance all of this is causing inside him. 

"Eren," Levi is quick to address him then, his tone deep and strict, "language." 

And that somehow reminds the omega of the fact that he really doesn't have much of a reason to insult that girl. He gives the alpha a somewhat apologetic look, but it's not nearly enough for him to take his words back or apologise. Not when that girl obviously does this to piss him off. 

"She started it," he tells Levi, looking somewhat like a sulking kid. His only answer is an unreadable expression on the raven's face. 

"What he's saying is true. I'm not really one for coffee," Levi finally answers for himself, and the sheer amount of joy Eren feels upon hearing those words is a bit ridiculous. And perhaps it's also a bit mean to be so happy to see her get rejected, but it isn't so much that as it is the fact that Levi didn't stab him in the back by saying that he wants to meet her. 

"If you'd rather drink tea that's fine as well," she tries again. 

"He'll be drinking tea later. With me." Eren's brain does what it always does, and takes longer thinking things over than it takes for the words to come out, and he does sound pretty possessive indeed with his wording. But that can't be changed now. He just makes sure not to look into Levi's eyes, a bit afraid that he's currently really embarrassing himself. 

"Also, I think the cashier has been waiting for about a minute now," Levi adds with a half smirk, which makes all of their eyes travel towards the cashier who indeed looks pretty frustrated over there. The other costumers don't really seem all too pleased with the additional waiting time either, and in the end that's enough to make the girl give up, though not before giving Eren a nasty look. 

"If you change your mind, here's my number," she says with a meaningful look and hands out a small card with what Eren assumes is her name, address and number. Then, like she didn't just cause a traffic jam in the supermarket, she goes on to pay for her groceries, and disappears with a wave that clearly isn't directed at Eren. 

Levi's gaze is heavy on him now, but Eren stubbornly refuses to say anything. It takes a while for them to pay for all the things they've bought, and the omega almost feels bad thinking about how much all of it costs. Until he remembers that his parents are paying for this, and probably not too little. He refuses to let Levi carry all the bags, and grabs one too.

"You smell like you're not in the best mood," Levi comments as they make their way out of the shop, and Eren wants to give him an award for pointing out the obvious. 

"She was annoying," he eventually says, hoping that it's enough information to be done with the topic. 

"Annoying, huh? Why did she bother you that much anyway?" 

And there goes Eren's hope that the raven won't ask any uncomfortable questions. He throws the bag into the car without much thought, and tries to flee by quickly taking a seat on the front. While that buys him a few seconds, it doesn't last. 

"You know, you have this habit of not answering my questions that makes conversations a little hard sometimes," the raven tells him, while starting the engine. 

"She just annoyed me, okay? With her face and her words, and everything. That's it," the omega answers, though he knows that it wasn't exactly just that, but he'd much rather ignore that thought for now. 

"Alright then," Levi says, and doesn't exactly finish his sentence, instead nodding towards the car radio, as if to remind Eren that he's allowed to pick out the music. 

Which of course, he gladly does. 

That's how they spend their ride home, and the music does a great job at making the omega forget about the incident that just happened, and his own words which were a bit confusing to say the least. He holds himself back from singing, because he's not really one to do that in front of almost strangers, and opts for tapping his fingers against his legs to the rhythm of mostly old songs. 

Levi doesn't seem to mind his music choices, and he doesn't even try to talk as it's playing which is great because if there's one thing Eren cannot stand besides alphas in general, it's when people always turn down the music to talk in the car. 

The landscape passes by quickly, and before he knows it, they're already back in the damn prison, though with a lot of nice stuff to eat. That might make it a bit more bearable here, or that's what the brunette hopes for. Yet again, Eren makes sure that Levi isn't the one carrying everything, and they walk back through the property and towards the small house surrounded by the forest. 

Once inside, Levi is quick to put everything where it belongs, although Eren doesn't miss the look of disgust he gives his sugary drinks before he places one in the fridge and the others in the shelf. 

"You can go to your room if you want to, we'll be making dinner in 20 minutes or so, but I need to talk to someone on the phone first," Levi dismisses the boy, and although Eren has pretty much forgotten about the supermarket incident for now, it suddenly occurs to him that the girl gave the alpha that stupid card with her name and number on it, and although he doesn't want to think about it, he instantly wonders whether it's her he's going to call. 

"Sure, sounds great," he says with a barely concealed lack of enthusiasm, before making his way towards his room. By the time he's about to close the door though, it occurs to Eren that perhaps a bit of eavesdropping wouldn't be too bad of a crime, really. Not in this case.

That's what he tells himself as he sits down by the open living room door, waiting for the call to start and already emotionally boiling at the thought that the alpha couldn't even wait until after dinner to call that needy omega. It's not like he really cares of course, but at least that will prove that the alpha is just as much of an ass as all the others are. 

Which is why he's surprised to finally hear the alpha speak up, and it doesn't really seem like he's calling that girl at all anymore. 

"Hanji, please tell me that you figured out something useful about Eren."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I say this every time but thanks so much to all of you who like this story, I never thought so many people would read it. You're amazing. 
> 
> I'm already writing the next chapter, so hopefully it shouldn't take too long. 
> 
> With that said, have fun reading, hopefully.

"Good evening to you too," Hanji's voice rings through the phone, "oh, it's rare that I have the pleasure of being called by you. I'm honestly more used to calling your phone ten times in a row and you pretending not to hear it until it gets on your nerves too much." 

There's entirely too much amusement in her tone, and Levi isn't really in the mood for her chatter. Perhaps he's a bit impatient, but it's only because that strange awareness of Eren's presence and smell won't seem to leave him. It's not that he dislikes Eren's smell or presence, quite the opposite. But he dislikes the fact that he feels different ever since the boy was dropped off here and handed to him. 

Being great at his job is something he has always taken pride in, and for whatever reason, he has a feeling that Eren is going to be his most complicated case yet. His initial confidence is fading, and he finds himself understanding the boy a bit too well.

But while understanding him is part of the job, it shouldn't get in the way of his most important task which is preparing Eren for his future mate. And at the moment, Levi feels like he's getting a bit soft.

"Hanji, I asked you a question, didn't I?" he growls into the speaker, determined to get her back on the topic. 

"You're unusually grumpy, mind telling me why?" she asks, and Levi forces himself not to comment on the fact that she forgot to use a band-aid earlier. Somehow, that thought just crosses his mind, and he's surprised he even remembers that now. 

"You're not my therapist and I'm not looking for free therapy sessions, alright? Just get to the point, what results did you get?" his voice is getting more expressionless now, which is usually a sign that Levi shouldn't necessarily be annoyed much further. 

"I'm a doctor, you know. Therefore I'm going to ask you some questions about Eren's behavior, and maybe that'll give me some clues. The info I currently have could mean a lot of things, or perhaps nothing at all. You've been awfully mysterious about the exact reasons why you wanted his blood checked so badly, so let's start there. Why did you invite me in just to test his blood? Is something wrong with him in anyway?" Hanji can't seem to answer his simple question and it almost makes Levi want to hang up because he's definitely made himself clear. But if he hangs up now, he has literally no way of getting his answers, so he forces himself to play along with her conversation. 

"Because he's been confusing me with his behavior," he admits. 

"Confusing you? The great master of reading omegas like open books?" she asks and it makes the raven roll his eyes. "That's so unusual. But how exactly does he confuse you?" 

A few seconds of silence follow, because Levi is internally debating how much he wants to tell her. Certain things that happened between Eren and him, certain moments, he doesn't feel like sharing with anyone for now. Not before he's made some sense of them himself. He's always been private like that, but that is during his private life. Not at work. He usually doesn't have a reason to not talk about anything here, because it's all just his job, nothing more or less. A job that's as boring and exhausting at the end of the day as any other. Except this time, it's somehow just a tiny bit more than that. 

"It's not that I don't understand him, I think I have a lot of things figured out in a way, but his mood swings sort of worry me." 

"Worry you?" Hanji repeats as if she didn't hear the rest of the sentence, and Levi curses himself for having used that word. 

"Worry, annoy, mentally exhaust - whatever you want to call it. The point is that they're intense, and it feels like he has a strong tendency to push people away from him with his behavior, though I'm not certain if he's doing it on purpose," he says, trying to give her an idea of the situation without telling her that for short moments this morning, Eren has looked at him almost as if he's found something in Levi that he's been searching for. Levi tries not to even think about that.

"Mood swings aren't that uncommon in teenagers, especially those who refuse to accept their secondary gender. And the way it will influence their life. You know that, they have so many internal conflicts going on after all," Hanji says with a bit of caution in her voice, which is unusual. She appears to be thinking about something, which isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to her. 

"There's something else," Levi finds himself saying, because he's a bit afraid that if he doesn't, she'll notice that he left something out of his description on purpose, and come to her own conclusions.

"And what's that?" 

Levi takes in a deep breath, before exhaling with a quiet noise, "his smell. That's the weirdest thing about the kid. It's so intense. It's as if I can tell even if his mood changes slightly or when he's getting lost in thought. I can barely concentrate on anything else when he's in the room, and it's really damn annoying because I need to stay focused, especially because of his mood swings. I know that my sense of smell is quite good, but not that good. So it must be him, something must be wrong with his pheromones or - I don't know. Even now when he isn't in the room, it's still so strong, it's distracting." 

Hanji stays quiet while she listens to his rant, and it takes a bit until she's apparently digested the words and connected the strings between Levi's description and her findings. 

"That does sound exhausting. If it bothers you this much though after just one day, then maybe it'd be better to let Erwin handle the case? Maybe it'll be easier for him to stay around Eren, though we'd need to test it to be sure. I personally didn't really notice anything weird about his smell. Though I'd say he smells a bit like those cleaning products claiming to give clothes the smell of the ocean or something," Hanji finishes the sentence with a weird snort that always happens before she bursts into laughter, and he already knows what she's going to say next. 

"I knew you had a cleaning fetish of sorts, but I didn't think cleaning products were that distracting to you, maybe that's the problem? That's just perfect," she says, obviously struggling to get the words out through her laughter. 

Levi can feel a headache make its way into the back of his skull, and it shows in his tone of voice. "Very funny, I get it. Just because you never clean your filthy apartment doesn't mean everyone enjoys being surrounded by dirt. And to answer your question, I already said that I'd help Eren, and I will. It's not impossible, just a bit complicated but I'll manage without Erwin's help," he says, careful to keep the sharp edges out of his voice at the thought of accepting defeat and handing Eren off to Erwin. That thought definitely doesn't sit well with him at all. Suddenly, he remembers Hanji's description of the omega's scent though, and he can't help but voice his thoughts, "and what are you even talking about by the way? Eren smells like apples and cinnamon. He smells so much like Christmas that it's almost ridiculous, especially when he's happy. But definitely not like some cleaning product, not even when he's mad."

And Hanji remains quiet again for a few seconds. 

"Well that's strange. I couldn't smell a hint of cinnamon in his scent," she says, "so maybe something is off about him after all. But to your disappointment, I won't be able to tell you much. He doesn't seem to have any illness or abnormality. It does show that his hormones seem to be a bit all over the place, but that fits your description of his mood changes. I haven't been able to figure out a reason for the overactivity of his hormones though. It reminds me a bit of what it's like when someone has just been bitten and their body adjusts to the body of their partner. Or during pregnancy, those increased levels of activity are found in some omegas as well. Also, in a heat of course. It doesn't usually happen without a reason though, although I suppose puberty could play a role in this." 

"Well I doubt that he's pregnant, and he doesn't have a mark on his neck, so that's out of the question as well. So, puberty, huh?" Levi asks her again, entirely unimpressed with her findings because he could have just as well figured out this much by himself, without taking any particular blood test, too.

"For now it's the only explanation I have, although the fact that we both describe his scent so differently is still strange. I could ask a few friends of mine, maybe some of them have heard of this phenomenon? You should ask him about his heat as well, maybe that'll give us some insight," she says, sounding unsure and it makes Levi wonder why she has heard of all weird kinds of shit and tells him stories about the strangest medical conditions concerning omegas, but when he has asks her about this, she just doesn't know. It's just his luck, really. An annoyed sound leaves his lips then, followed by an exhausted exhale. 

"Sure, do what you want. I doubt your doctor friends are going to be very helpful anyway." 

"What are you going to do though? Will you try talking to him about it? Or of course it's also possible that it's just because I'm not an alpha that he smells different to me," she tries, but it's usually not the case that omegas or alphas smell things that differently. They both pick up on scents in the same way, it's just their reaction to it which is different and creates different responses, too. Hanji knows this very well, and the fact that she feels the need to calm him down leaves a bitter taste in Levi's mouth. Because it means that she knows this is really affecting him. 

"I'm not sure yet, for now I'll just try to deal with it somehow I guess, or maybe I'll try to talk to him," Levi tells her, and waits a moment before forcing himself to thank her for trying. It's not that he doesn't value it, it just that he's still pretty frustrated because nothing much has become clearer. Except for the fact that it doesn't really look like there is much wrong with Eren, most likely. Which is a good thing after all. 

"You know that you can always come to me if anything else happens or if you decide that this isn't working. For now, I just wish you good luck with the boy. I'm sure you'll be able to help him somehow," Hanji tells him in that tone of hers that makes it clear she means every word she's saying. 

It almost makes Levi want to thank her yet again, but instead he settles on, "Talk to you soon," and hangs up after that. 

He really isn't the biggest fan of long conversations on the phone. And this really wasn't half as enlightening as he hoped it would be.

In his frustration, the alpha walks toward the kitchen counter, pouring himself half a glass of red wine, hoping it might make his mind somewhat quieter. Although he rarely allows himself a glass or two, wine is actually something that the alpha enjoys very much, and he's been told quite often that he's good at picking out the right wine to go with any meal. Perhaps working in that field would have been less troublesome, he wonders. 

Either way, Levi closes his eyes as he takes a sip of the red wine, savoring the taste and opening his eyes afterwards to find Eren standing in the doorframe with his eyes fixed on him. 

"Are you done with your call yet? Because I'm honestly starving," he says, walking into the room and looking at the glass of red wine the alpha is holding. 

"Sure, just wash your hands and we can get started," Levi answers, sort of happy that he didn't need to force the boy out of his bedroom this time. They both wash their hands thoroughly, and Levi places anything they might need on the table, both the vegetables and the plates to cut them on and knives to cut them with. 

-

Eren isn't sure how to feel about the conversation he just witnessed. Though he didn't catch every last bit of it, he definitely heard enough to have his interest piqued. And from what he can tell, apparently Levi has some sort of problem with his presence, or his smell to be more accurate. 

It makes Eren wonder why, though. Sure, he is an omega and all, but he hasn't heard much about his smell except perhaps a compliment from some idiotic alpha here or there, but that's just normal. What he's never heard before, is that he smells like Christmas, as Levi told Hanji on the phone just two minutes ago. 

That's a bit strange, and it's even stranger coupled with the fact that apparently, Levi has some sort of issue with Eren's smell. It's nothing Eren can really explain to himself.

At first, he wanted to be mad at the alpha for talking about him behind his back, but now there's something more than just anger he feels. Curiosity. He wants to get an idea of just how much his smell affects the alpha, and why. Knowing more than Levi is aware of also doesn't feel all too bad. Instead, it makes him feel empowered somehow, to know that he does manage to make Levi overwhelmed. At least he isn't the only one who feels like he's going crazy. 

Although Eren honestly can't say that he appreciates the fact that Levi basically told Hanji that he's moody when the alpha isn't exactly the embodiment of sunshine either all the time. 

As he watches Levi show him the right way to cut vegetables yet again, an idea forms in his head, and a somewhat devious smile comes to Eren's lips. He doesn't care much about cutting vegetables anyway. 

Without saying anything, he grabs a blood red apple from the plate with fruit that always stands in the middle of the desk, and gives it a short look before biting into it, loudly. He has to keep himself from laughing as he chews, seeing the alpha beside him tense up at the noise before grey eyes land on the apple, and then Eren. 

For seconds, nothing happens. But then, Levi clears his throat, "Why are you eating an apple now? I sure hope you're still going to eat dinner because otherwise, it's kind of pointless to even make one." Neither his face nor his voice give much away, except the usual bit of annoyance. 

"Making food takes a bit of time though, and I already told you that I'm starving, of course I can still eat dinner," Eren explains, "and besides, I just thought of something." 

The last part makes the raven raise a brow in question. 

"I was thinking about baking. Or more specifically, I just got this spontaneous urge to make a pie... an apple pie," Eren says innocently, looking at the apple in front of him, "you know, with lots of cinnamon." 

Eren can tell that Levi's expressionless mask crumbles a bit at that, though it's not as much his face as it's his eyes that give it away. And Eren delights in that, seeing the other struggle to decide whether Eren's words are a coincidence. It makes him feel as if for once, he isn't the one out of the two who's in the powerless position. For a moment, it feels as if Levi's eyes search for some sort of answer in Eren, traveling over his face, neck and body, but Eren could just as well have imagined it.

The alpha's confusion doesn't seem to last, and the his colorless eyes harden on Eren quickly after that. 

Which makes Eren take it a bit further, naturally. "But I don't think I could eat a whole pie by myself. And I'm not sure yet whether you even like sweet things or not so.. what do you say, would you like a piece?" 

"Sorry kid, but actually I don't eat sweets," he says, and somehow, Eren wasn't prepared for that answer. Who in the world dislikes pie? That's just weird.

And maybe it disappoints Eren a bit because after talking about sweets so much he now wants to actually bake something, and most importantly, eat it. And maybe, just maybe there's something else that bugs him. Because if Levi really cannot stand the smell of cinnamon and apples, then that probably sort of explains why he doesn't want Eren to bake for him. Or well, bake for himself and give the other a piece of the result. It's not like Eren would stand in the kitchen and make food for an alpha after all, no thanks.

"Okay, so no pie. Fine," Eren says quietly and already turns his attention back to the vegetables the other was cutting, which is also a good excuse not to look Levi in the eye. The red apple doesn't seem to taste quite as sweet anymore either. 

-

It's as if Eren is doing that thing with his smell on purpose, and it's also as if the boy either has a natural talent for aggravating Levi. The way the kid just casually talked about making an apple pie of all things seems to be a bit too ironic for it so be a coincidence. Or maybe the universe just hates him and it was indeed a coincidence, but Levi has a feeling that the boy has literally no idea at all what he's doing to Levi by talking about things like that. And with his smell, too. 

Which now carries that bitter note of disappointment that would usually be quite easy to ignore because Levi had to learn to ignore that, training teenage alphas and omegas. But in this moment, that doesn't seem easy at all, and it takes about 20 seconds of having an internal conflict for the alpha to finally open his mouth, "I don't usually eat cake or pie, but I might make an exception this time. Apple pie is still better than any other." He already regrets the words as he says them, although it's still true. His mother always used to make that pie for his birthday in December, and he hasn't eaten much sweet stuff ever since she's passed away. 

Besides, it's not like Eren knows exactly what he smells like to Levi, probably.

Maybe the truth is indeed that Eren smells like cleaning products as Hanji said, although in Levi's mind that description doesn't fit the omega at all. 

So maybe then, it wouldn't hurt to try a piece. And if it makes Eren happy, then that's also another way to build some trust between them. And where there's trust, progress can be made. Hopefully.

Levi can both see it in Eren's face and smell it like a cloud of perfume when the boy realises that he just agreed to eat his stupid cake. It's almost endearing, in a way. Eren's whole face lights up, and he smells like warm winter evenings in front of a fire yet again, and happy. So happy that it instantly reflects in Levi somehow, and trying to ignore it would be a bit like trying to trick your reflection in a mirror. 

"Awesome! Then I'm making one tomorrow," Eren says, enthusiastic about such a small thing yet again, and it almost brings a smile to the alpha's face. He takes another bite of his blood red apple, and Levi forces himself to keep his eyes focused on the vegetables he's cutting, because he doesn't necessarily need to cut his fingers by accident. 

"But right now, you're supposed to be learning how to make curry. So we'll concentrate on that for now," Levi tells him, and strangely, Eren doesn't even give him any kind of remark at that, he just stands beside Levi and those green eyes remain focused on the way Levi is holding the potato in his fingers, for it to be safe while cutting. It actually looks like Eren's paying attention for once, and the alpha can't help but be a bit surprised when Eren just nods and actually manages to be somewhat helpful as they make the food. 

They don't talk much, at first, but by the time they're eating dinner and Eren finally gets to drink the coke he bought earlier, Levi has made up his mind to ask him some questions, whether the boy finds that embarrassing or not. Though he finds it somewhat hard to find the words.

"Do you want some?" Eren asks him, pointing towards the bottle, but Levi only shakes his head. 

"Eren. Do you know if anyone in your family has trouble with mood disorders or perhaps something hormone related? Or if that isn't the case, do you have any sorts of irregularities concerning your heat?" he asks, and of course the boy chokes on the bite of food he's taking, coughing messily as he tries to take in some much needed air. Talking about us heat always seems to embarrass the omega greatly, judging by the way his cheeks appear almost crimson at the mere mention of the word. Levi needs to ask this though, because he wonders if maybe it's just that the boy's heat isn't two weeks away as Eren said before. Maybe he's close to it, very close, and that's why his scent appears so intriguing to Levi. 

After the coughing fit, Eren visibly struggles to come up with an answer, but the alpha lets him take his time to form a reply. 

"There's nothing I know about any of my family members having issues like that. And my heat comes regularly too, maybe a day earlier or later every now and then," Eren says with his eyes glued to the curry now. 

"Are there any unusual things about your heat phases then? Anything that differs from what's normal?" Levi tries, searching for any piece of an explanation he might get out of the boy. 

"I don't think I even understand that question," Eren tells him with his eyebrows knitted together and his cheeks still red. 

"Okay then I'll spell it out for you. A heat is separated in three main phases that each take a few days usually, though it depends on the omega. The first part of that is nesting, which either means that you'll just collect all sorts of things on your bed and in your room that you find to your liking, or for people who have a mate it usually means that they'll steal all their stuff just to have that smell surrounding them. Do you do that?" Levi begins and it's painfully obvious how uncomfortable Eren is talking about this. 

"I'm, I don't really, uh.. do much of that? But that's stupid anyways, if I did this every time I'd just have such a big mess to clean up afterwards that I always figured like, a few things of mine like a soft pillow or two are enough," he says, talking quite fast which only further proves that this isn't something Eren usually speaks about. 

"A pillow or two?" Levi finds himself repeating as a half question, finding it hard to wrap his mind around the fact that Eren just doesn't even care about nesting apparently? That's honestly something most omegas enjoy so much instinctively, they'd never give up on it just because you have to clean it all up later. He frowns, but continues on with his questions. "Well, as long as it works for you, it should do I guess. Then the second phase is usually referred to as the emotional phase. It's mainly when your emotions are all over the place, and you are extremely sensitive to criticism of any kind. Just emotionally vulnerable in general, because you're less there mentally. It's when you search for safety and a quiet place either by yourself or for some people with their mate. I guess you've experienced that too?" 

-

Eren feels a bit as if he's sitting in a doctor's office, or in a police station. That's what the constant questions from the alpha make him feel like, as if he's done something wrong and as a punishment, he's being questioned now. 

"Yeah I might have experienced that. I sometimes get a bit sad and clingy at that time of my heat so my friends usually spend those days at my house and we play video games and I cry because it's just so hard to focus that I lose every time. I still want to play every time though, I guess that's my idea of that whole bonding thing. Nothing screams safety like seeing video game characters beating each other up," he says, trying to use a bit of humor to get out of the awkwardness of the situation. 

Eren doesn't really want to have this conversation, but after what he's witnessed of the call, he also sort of expected it, perhaps. Although that definitely didn't give him enough preparation time to not feel flushed and nervous talking of such things. Even that humor thing doesn't seem to be working too well. The omega can tell by Levi's gaze alone that something he said seems to have surprised him greatly, because when he surprises the raven is the only time he ever seems to really get a somewhat readable expression out of him at all.

He smells worried, too. Eren cannot help but notice that, and it makes him wonder what's wrong about what he just said. 

-

"You spend that time with your friends? Kid, that's supposed to be either time for some serious self reflection or bonding time with a partner. That's why you're sad and clingy at that time, because it's when your body tells you that it's urgent to emotionally prepare for the last phase of your heat. To prepare you for giving up all control to your omega. For that, you need to trust your it and deal with both your and its thoughts and worries that are amplified thanks to the hormones. Of course you can't concentrate on video games when you're like that," Levi half yells with a spoon hanging loosely in his hand, unable to believe that Eren cares so little about that side of himself, although it does make sense since he seems to be very busy fighting his inner omega basically all of the time. Never once letting go of resistance.

Still, what the boy is describing sounds more like he's trying his best to just ignore his heat and distract himself from it anyway he can, and that does not sound healthy.

That this even works at all is astonishing to Levi, because many omegas much older than Eren still aren't able to spend that time without a partner nearby, at least not without describing it as the most agonising thing in the world. It's part of the reason why it's tradition to find a mate for young omegas at an early age. To assure that they don't have to go through their heat by themselves often. 

But to think that he just sits there, plays video games and cries when he loses - that doesn't sound like something that any omega does during their heat, not with friends around them either. 

"That's what I thought when I was younger, what my mother told me too. But as I got older I realised that a heat isn't something magical or beautiful as some describe it. It's a simple matter of giving into those urges and wasting a whole week all by myself holed up in my room, or just deciding not to. Of course I'm a little bit emotional during my heat, but not in a way that requires some sort of solitary confinement. A heat isn't some spiritual experience, it's just your body asking to procreate, and I don't even want to do that so what's the point?" 

"I'm not saying that what you're doing is wrong in any way, it's just that those urges and all, that's a part of you too. Not all of you, but a part. And I personally think that it's never a good idea to completely neglect certain parts of yourself, however much they might annoy you," Levi tells him, glad that Eren has opened up at all and trying his best not to say the wrong thing and make the omega change his mind and evade his questions for now. 

"That's easier said than done though. You're not the one who goes through it after all. I've just never been really interested in that side of myself, because it's all so annoying and I don't like the feeling of giving into my urges, it.. feels wrong," Eren says, and Levi is honestly a bit distracted by his smell because the desk isn't too big and they're not sitting very far from each other either. But he forces himself to concentrate because this might very well be important information.

"I might have somewhat of an idea what you're talking about. But that doesn't mean that it is nothing to worry about. There are some things that are just facts, like it's a fact that it's important for you to know yourself. Repressing yourself in some way sometimes ends up making it worse. Do you completely ignore the last part of your heat as well then and just spend it playing video games?" Levi asks him, hoping that the wording is more comfortable for Eren than spelling out the alternative version would be. 

"The last part of.. oh," it takes a moment for Eren to understand apparently, and once he does, his cheeks have reached a state that could perhaps be described as glowing, "Uh, I can never seem to completely ignore that part. At least for one day or two, I do lock myself up and just do my best to get it, uh.. over with as fast as possible. After a day or so my head usually clears up enough for me to decide that it's been enough and just distract myself somehow. When I was younger it was horrible though, because it went on for almost a full week." 

It's definitely very, very wrong that Levi wonders for a short moment what Eren looks like during that one day when he allows himself at least a tiny bit of what he actually needs as an omega. In his mind, a picture of a flushed face and heated skin appears, coupled with messy brown hair and that sweet scent that the boy carries with him like a cloud. It would probably smell much sweeter then, too. Levi doesn't even allow himself to think of the noises he might make. 

That mental image does something to him, something seriously horrible. Because it doesn't shock or disgust him half as much as it makes his heart beat faster. For what exact reason, he's reluctant to realise, but it does take a lot of willpower to just force that thought out of his head. He should definitely feel like a total creep, but in reality that somehow isn't entirely the case.

It's probably thanks to his instincts, yet again. They've shown themselves a bit too often lately, and it's always just because of Eren. 

Perhaps it's because the boy doesn't even realise how much his constant acts of resistance exhaust him. Or because he doesn't seem to care very much about himself, which Levi cannot really stand to just ignore.

That explains his protective urges, but not exactly the sick fantasy his mind just made up on the spot. 

"You allow yourself no more than one day of that? That's.. Wow, kid, I'm not even entirely sure what sorts of effects that might have on you in the long run, but you're basically saying that you're forcing yourself out of it after just one day while almost every omega spends at least five days of their heat getting off? Kid, that's not something you can just completely rush like that," Levi tries to find the right words, but he's still a bit distracted somehow perhaps. He doesn't want to be too vulgar with his words either, but getting off is basically what they're talking about anyway. 

Eren really does seem to struggle with his sexuality, and if that doesn't change once he has an alpha, then it might end up being really painful for the omega if his heat differs so much from what's normal. Worse yet, it can make an alpha very frustrated when they have the feeling that their mate isn't really into it, which has resulted in both rape, violence and in extreme cases murder, before. For now, Levi does not want to think about that at all though, because it's not in the least bit helpful.

"But I can," Eren answers shortly, "and besides, I'd really like to know why you're asking me all of this in the first place. I don't know about you but my heat isn't really my favorite topic to discuss over dinner." 

"I'm asking partly because of what happened this morning. Remember?" Levi asks him and judging by the way Eren's face changes, he does remember indeed.

"I almost fainted, okay? I wasn't half aware of what was going on," the omega responds, and Levi knows that already. It's just not a real explanation for why the boy basically wanted to shower in his scent. 

"That may very well have something to do with the fact that you don't have a healthy relationship with your inner omega. I'm not saying this to annoy you, but both your physical and emotional health are important, and I can't shake the feeling that you don't realise that," Levi tells him, and then he realises that he's doing it again, worrying about the boy. It just happens so naturally. 

"So what are you trying to say? That I need to do all that omega bullshit just to be healthy? I'm perfectly fine, what happened this morning doesn't mean anything at all!" Eren says, but he's getting more annoyed by the second, and that's not the goal Levi had in mind at all with this conversation.

"It's not like I'm making this up, you know? I've worked with a lot of omegas, some of which had similar problems, but they were all fixable," Levi says, and apparently he should perhaps not have touched that topic yet or have used other words, because at this Eren slams his spoon on the plate and stands up, but not before yelling at the alpha.

"Then why don't you just go and get yourself another damn omega to work with who's happy to talk about their heat with you and who you can brainwash in just a few days before sending him off to some stupid alpha?!" he screams, and slams the door behind him as he storms out of the room, his plate still half full. 

It all happens so fast that Levi just sits there for a moment, Eren's angered smell still clouding the room, and a sigh leaves his lips. The alpha isn't so sure whether it would be a good idea to follow the boy or not, but his legs seem to think otherwise because he's standing up before he knows it, and his steps are hurried as he rushes behind Eren.

-

Green eyes fill up with tears automatically as the door closes behind Eren, and he rushes ahead towards his room, with every intention of staying in there for the next few days and never getting out again. Just a bit earlier today, it seemed almost bearable to be around the alpha, and now he has proven to Eren once again why he cannot stand being around alphas at all. 

Fixable, he said, as if Eren is a broken toy or something. At first, he even answered Levi's questions despite how uncomfortable they made him, but at the alpha's last sentence, something inside Eren just snapped. 

Which is why he's currently sitting down on the floor, his back against the bed, rubbing his eyes furiously because he doesn't want to give Levi the pleasure of having made him cry once again. Sure, those are angry tears more than anything, but they're mixed with something else. A disgusting feeling that resembles shame makes his chest heavy, and although he doesn't want to ask himself that question of all, Eren cannot help but wonder if there's honestly something very wrong with him, if maybe he is beyond repair.

Because he doesn't find it easy to talk about such personal things as his heat at all, it's bad enough that he even has to deal with that. The mere idea of letting his omega take control for longer than is absolutely necessary terrifies him in a sense, and so do the other things like nesting or following his instincts. 

He doesn't feel like those things are for him at all, and although he knows what future is probably waiting for him in one way or another, the thought of eventually sharing a heat with an alpha is just the worst possible scenario his mind can conjure. 

Although he likes to pretend like he simply doesn't care about it, that he isn't scared, the truth might be that he's too terrified to even think about giving into his nature. It's not just a simple form of dislike he feels towards that, but something more. Something uglier that runs deeper and is backed up by memories that he wishes he could just forget.

There are three knocks on his door, and Eren wants to groan in frustration, because his thoughts are so loud that being alone sounds like a much better option than being close to anyone. Whenever Levi is around, the world seems to confuse him much more than is usual, especially with all of those questions just now, and knowing that Levi is convinced there is something wrong with him doesn't make it easier. Maybe the truth of the matter is that Levi is the reason for Eren's weird behavior, he wonders. With the alpha's smell and his way of getting on Eren's nerves, it's no surprise that he has 'mood swings' after all. 

"Stay outside," Eren yells and of course that's when the door opens instead, but the brunette doesn't even bother to look at the man. His mind is very busy supplying him with the knowledge that Levi must have had a hundred omegas or more here, and Eren is just one case of many. Another broken kid to be fixed and then handed to an asshole afterwards. Amazing, isn't it? 

That brings on another waterfall of tears, and Eren uses his arms to cover his face, not wanting to give the alpha a view of him in this state. He's not entirely sure why he is crying about this, but that doesn't make him stop either.

He can hear Levi getting closer, and eventually kneeling down beside him. 

Instead of the words Eren expects to be comforted with, he takes a sharp intake of breath when the alpha's warm hand softly touches his back and starts to travel across it in soothing circles. He's at a loss of what to do in that moment, because although he really, really wants to yell at the man or punch him, he's also very busy crying and somehow the hand on his back does manage to help, maybe. A little bit. The boy opens his eyes and looks at Levi from between his crossed arms, surprised to find him looking as if he's deep in thought with his eyes half closed as he quietly strokes the boy's back. It makes Eren wonder if maybe Levi isn't entirely aware that he's even doing this, maybe it's just another one of those instinctual things. Perhaps they don't just happen to Eren.

That shouldn't happen though, not with an omega Levi's taking care of, or should it? All Eren knows is that despite his urge to insult or hurt the alpha, his touch alone does manage to make less tears fall, and the more minutes pass in silence between them, the easier it becomes to focus only on that, and nothing else. 

By the time 10 minutes have passed, Eren finds himself leaning into the touch despite his better judgement, and with his eyes closed it's almost easy to pretend that everything is okay for now. Eren could swear that Levi is doing this thing with his scent again that comes dangerously close to what happened this morning, because he doesn't smell annoyed or dominant, he only smells like he wants to help Eren, and the omega blames it on that that he isn't making him stop. In that moment, he seems to understand why he did what he did this morning. 

Until Levi speaks up and puts him out of his spell, that is. 

"You smell horrible when you're sad," he says, and Eren instantly takes it as an insult, before he realises what it also means. Of course the alpha assumes that he understands him like that.

"I'm not even sad! I'm pissed," he says, but it sounds somewhat weak as it comes out and it creates a weird contrast between his words and his actual appearance, Eren can tell. 

"The point is that I don't like it when you're not feeling well," Levi admits, and Eren isn't so sure he can believe that. 

"And I should have stopped asking you when I noticed that you were uncomfortable answering my questions," the alpha continues, his fingers starting to move across Eren's back yet again, as if to prove what he just said. But the omega remains skeptical despite it. 

"That realisation comes a bit late," Eren tells him, eyes still red and swollen, "but it's not as if it matters much anyway." 

"Of course it matters, you're crying," Levi tells him, and the way he says it makes Eren want to believe that he means it somehow. But he knows better than to fall for such words.

"I bet you've seen hundreds of omegas cry, making omegas cry is basically your job," Eren replies, trying his best not to make it sound as if he has a personal problem with that. Although he sort of dislikes the idea very much that Levi has probably talked like this to so many others. But at the same time, he doesn't want to hear any lie about this being different than it is with others either. He can still feel that warm hand touching his shoulders softly, the pressure barely there.

"Maybe you should go to sleep, today has been very eventful after all," the alpha replies, neither denying nor supporting his statement. It catches Eren off guard, and he cannot really argue with what he said, especially since crying always seems to exhaust him greatly. 

So Eren nods, but not before a thought crosses his mind. 

"What do I smell like to you?" he asks, curious to know if Levi will actually try to keep what Eren heard earlier a secret from him. So far, the man hasn't told him a lot about how much his scent really seems to bother him, and Eren can only suspect that the alpha doesn't want to give the omega that kind of power over him. But Eren already knows, and after all the questions the other just asked him, his own seems innocent enough. 

"Why are you asking?" the alpha's voice rough, like he isn't too pleased with the question, but his hand keeps moving on Eren's back nonetheless. 

"You said that I smell horrible when I'm sad. So what do I smell like to you when I'm not sad?" the omega continues with his questions, green eyes fixed on grey now.

"I'm not sure," is perhaps the last answer Eren expected, and he's not satisfied with that lack of a real answer at all. 

So before really thinking twice about it, Eren breaks the eye contact and lets his head drop down, exposing a bit of his neck, his brown hair falling down around his head softly, like a veil. It's only when he's already in that position that he notices just how vulnerable it makes him feel, but there's a strange lack of nervousness still.

"Smell me then," he says, "I'm curious."

At those words, the hand on Eren's back stops moving abruptly, and the omega can hear Levi swallow.

"Eren, that's not-" he begins, but his sentence is interrupted by the boy. 

"Come on," Eren says, using a tone of voice that's a bit breathless but apparently still very convincing, because the next thing Eren knows is that he's holding his breath while he can feel the alpha leaning closer towards him, with cautious movements as if he might break Eren with one wrong touch. 

And in that moment Eren wonders if maybe this was a bit too much to ask of the man, because he can smell the tension in the alpha, a certain edge in his scent that almost makes it seem as if this truly is horrible for him. 

There's a hint of something else, too, but Eren has no way of deciphering what that means. 

All he knows is that time seems to move differently for a few seconds as he feels Levi lean towards him, until his face is only centimeters away from his scent glands, and Eren can feel his hot breath on his skin. All he can do is hope that the sensation doesn't cause goosebumps to appear on his skin, but he honestly isn't so sure, because the whole atmosphere seems to have changed greatly, and he can hear his own breaths coming out a bit unevenly. Where all of that tension came from so suddenly, he really cannot tell.

The omega can't say how long it really takes until Levi tears himself away with a noise on his lips that could mean anything from disgust to annoyance. It could have been 5 seconds, or a few minutes. 

And he's damn sure that his face is deep red as he moves to position himself normally again. Levi has his eyes closed, looking almost pained, and Eren fumbles around with his hair, making sure it falls into the right position after having been messed up. 

"So?" the brunette asks, his voice soft and unusually breathy still. 

"You were eavesdropping earlier, weren't you?" the raven asks, and it makes the blush on Eren's cheeks much more prominent, which probably means that denying it isn't going to work anyway. So he doesn't try to.

"Yeah," he says dismissively, "You haven't answered my question though." 

"You smell like apples and cinnamon.. and bullshit," Levi tells him, eloquently, and despite himself, Eren laughs at that, a bit louder than could be considered sweet for an omega. 

"You're wounding me," he says, and is almost shocked to find a smile playing with the alpha's lips as well, though his eyes are hard to interpret as ever. It makes Eren curious to see him smile for real, instead of just the ghost of a smile that's evident now. 

And that's definitely weird because so far, Eren has only ever tried to annoy the man and give him a headache, to make him pay for keeping him locked in here. Now, he wants to make him smile out of.. curiosity? But the omega supposes that it's just his exhaustion and the stress of the day that make him think weird things like that, for sure.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> University just started and I'm sitting here writing fanfiction instead of doing any reading or learning. :D
> 
> Things are finally going to get even more complicated between them, and especially Levi is having a really hard time keeping himself in check now. But it'll only get worse... or well, better
> 
> thanks again to all of you, and I hope you like this chapter (:

The moonlight only serves to illuminate a small part of the room, but Levi can hear soft footsteps approaching from the darkness, just after the door of his room makes a loud suffering noise. He doesn't need to ask who's in there, because the smell in itself gives Eren away easily enough. 

What the boy is doing in his room however, Levi cannot say. He cannot even tell what time of the night it is.

"Eren?" he asks, a hint of caution in his sleepy voice, as if that time of night requires you to speak a bit more softly. 

But the omega doesn't answer, and instead his steps stop in front of Levi's bed, a hint of moonlight falling on him through the window. The boy looks almost like a ghost as he stands there, his tanned skin like porcelain underneath that cold white light. 

The only sound in the room is the breathing of both of them, and the silence in between their breaths only serves to accentuate the strangeness of the situation. Eren still isn't answering him, his big eyes are focused on the alpha though, as if he's waiting for him to move, or speak. Or do anything at all.

"What are you doing in here?" Levi asks, his voice scratchy as he supports his weight with one elbow, sleep still clouding his perception. 

But it's as if Eren has lost all ability to speak, and instead of opening his mouth, the omega takes small steps towards the bed, reaching it within seconds. And everything that happens afterwards is a blur, nothing Levi ever expected or could possibly handle. Once the boy's legs touch the mattress of his bed, Eren carefully lets his body drop down on it, sitting there on his knees and looking very lost for a moment. Or perhaps not lost at all.

Levi wants to say something about how Eren should probably not be in his bed right now, but the words die in his throat as he notices the boy's clothing choice for the night. Grey boxer shorts, and a white shirt with only one button properly done and one in the wrong hole. The rest of the fabric hangs down Eren's slim torso, casting shadows with the wrinkles of it. 

It makes him look angelic, like something that's not quite out of this world. Or maybe it's just the moonlight... Levi isn't entirely sure. 

And then, Eren starts speaking,"I couldn't sleep." 

While he says that, he moves forwards a bit, almost sitting on the alpha's legs now. Levi's eyes remain stuck on the omega for a few seconds before he snaps out of it and answers, "I'm not really the type to read bedtime stories to kids, sorry." 

The annoyed look that he gets out of Eren for that is damn sure worth it, but it soon transforms into a wicked grin that Levi has no way of interpreting. All he knows is that Eren's smell is about as intense as it gets, and way too attractive for it to be legal. The boy curiously touches the bedsheets, before halting and pushing some hair behind his ear, exposing his neck in the process. 

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind either," the omega tells him, his scent both sweet and spicy, and it's making the alpha feel a bit out of it to be honest. 

"What were you thinking about then?" he forces the question out, but the alpha's voice sounds even deeper than usually, husky even to his own ears. His eyes are fixed on Eren, and his hands are tingling with the desire to do something.. anything. At the same time, he isn't so sure he wants to move at all.

Eren lets his eyes find Levi slowly, and it contrasts the speed with which his next movements happen. Just seconds later, the boy has crawled his way over to Levi, now actually sitting on top of the alpha as if he's a piece of furniture made for that purpose alone. He looks comfortable there on his legs, like it's a place where he belongs.

"I was thinking about this," Eren begins to explain, but no further words leave his lips as the omega starts undressing, opening up what little buttons are left to open. He's grinning, but that isn't what the raven is currently focused on. Instead, the act of unbottoning his shirt in itself is almost hypnotic. Levi can definitely feel his breathing start to quicken, but he tries his best to just lie there, and not do anything that might be wrong. Because there's too much potential of doing the wrong thing in this situation. 

Why in the world is the boy doing this?

Levi doesn't ask him.

He feels a bit like he's sitting in an audience, only allowed to watch as the scene unfolds in front of him. 

And then Eren's shirt drops down on the bed, and there's so much skin to look at that Levi instead forces himself to lock his eyes on Eren's face. It's a mistake though, because the omega's next words coupled with the eye contact almost make the alpha lose it. His pulse is quick beneath his skin as Eren speaks, "and I was thinking that perhaps you'd like to watch me undress." 

The amount of innocence in his voice as he says that only makes it all worse. Levi's instincts are telling him to do things to the boy that are definitely not part of his job, and the horrible truth is that he doesn't trust himself to even say no. 

So he says nothing at all, and instead concentrates on breathing as Eren's smell grows stronger because the kid is yet again coming closer. And way too close to an area that Levi definitely doesn't need Eren to sit on if he wants his sanity to remain intact. He's already so close that the simple act of doing nothing is harder than it has ever seemed before.

But Levi's wishes aren't granted, and Eren's ass sinks down on Levi's crotch like a stone to the bottom of a river. The alpha doesn't even need to look down there because he already knows that he's rock hard, and there's no way in hell Eren doesn't notice that. He could probably smell it before either way, but that knowledge doesn't mean much when the friction caused by the movement forces the alpha to close his eyes so as not to make a noise. 

It feels good, too good to be real almost. 

There are too many clothes between them, he almost finds himself thinking. 

"Wow," is all Eren says, and when Levi opens his eyes he finds the boy staring down at his clothed erection as if he has no shame at all. A second later, that seems to prove itself true because the boy innocently, softly and barely noticeably, rolls his hips into the alpha. He purrs softly as he repeats the motion, rubbing himself against Levi as if he does this on a regular basis.

For about twenty seconds, Levi can tolerate this, enjoy it and just stare at the brunette's face as he goes about his business of driving the man crazy. Because he definitely looks beautiful while doing that. After that time however, the alpha inside him is excited to the point where no rational thinking in the world can snap him out of it. Job or not, that's the last thing he's able to think of right now.

His mind and body only know one thing. And that is that he needs to show Eren just who's in control here. 

In a matter of seconds, he's got Eren pinned down to the bed beneath him, with a movement so fast that Eren seems confused for a moment as well, just laying there with wide open eyes and whimpering at the rough treatment. That doesn't last though, because a second later Levi's mouth collides with his, thin wrists still pinned to the mattress beneath the alpha's hands. 

Eren replies to his kiss eagerly, giving it all he's got and definitely trying to prove something to Levi with his kiss, too. But Levi easily dominates him, and finds joy in doing so. Things get messy between them fast, and there isn't much thinking involved in their make out session at all, just closeness and warmth, and the air is clouded with pheromones. Both of them struggle for breath at some point, and that's when their attachment breaks apart, leaving the two of them breathing violently, loudly. 

In that moment, Levi is almost blinded as he looks at the omega, because Eren looks beautiful with his widened pupils and messy hair. And with the lack of a shirt too, of course. Like a fallen angel spread out beneath the alpha. Only for him. 

It has the alpha going for his neck an instant later, his lips attacking the warm skin and the boy's smell acts like a drug, making it easier and easier for the man to not feel guilty as he's tasting the boy's skin eagerly, making Eren moan with each time his lips descend on his neck right next to his scent glands. 

Apparently it's not enough though because soon Eren does something unthinkable and forces one arm out of Levi's grasp, his hand soon traveling towards the man's underwear and stroking the bulge beneath the fabrjc with curious fingertips. 

It's the smallest touch, but the action in itself coupled with the noises Eren keeps making, both of that is just so insanely intense to him that the alpha cannot keep himself from biting down harder into the soft skin of his neck. 

The last thing he hears is an unbelievably sinful moan from Eren, and then he wakes up with his underwear sticky and his chest rising and falling at a rapid pace. 

He's alone in his room, the two doors closed. 

And Levi can't even begin to make sense of what he just dreamed about. All of it was so clear, it felt so real...

And now that it's over, it leaves him questioning both his sanity and his morals to a degree he perhaps never has before. It also makes him question whether this is maybe not the right job for him. Of course, it's not like he can control what he dreams about, but this- that was intense. 

Now that his mind is starting to clear up, a wave of guilt threatens to drown him beneath it. And he's only been awake for a few sobering minutes. 

He's supposed to fucking help the kid, not touch him or kiss him or basically do anything that happened in his dream to him. He quickly gets up and heads for a cold shower before getting too lost in those thoughts, as if the cold water might just wash away his memory of the dream as well. Levi hardly ever remembers his dreams, but this one of all has to be clear as day. That's just typical. 

The cold water helps somewhat, but the alpha is nowhere near ready to just go to sleep again, his mind still preoccupied with none too positive thoughts and images that he refuses to visualise although they're still there, somewhere in his head. He's almost mad at his dream self for not interrupting what was happening, but there isn't much logic to that. 

It's probably because of their conversation topics yesterday, he decides. That has to be it, because anything else just simply wouldn't be okay. There's got to be some other reason for him to dream of that.

Still, even as he tells himself that it's not as bad as it seems, he cannot help but feel as if it's maybe not the entire truth. The entire truth can go fuck itself however, because for now there's just no way Levi is digging further into the topic. 

So instead, he puts on clothes after his shower and then heads towards the kitchen, choosing coffee today instead of tea which in itself is more than unusual for the man. 

-

When Eren wakes up, tiny bits of sunshine fall into the room through the window, and he has no idea at all how late it is. All the boy knows is that Levi didn't wake him up today, instead leaving him the time to wake up by himself. 

That's very comfortable of course, but also sort of strange because Eren got the impression that the man isn't exactly one to break his routine. He doesn't know him too well yet though, so maybe he cannot really judge that. Instead of rushing to put on clothes, he allows himself to laze around on the bed some more before eventually standing up and yawning again. 

Then, he leaves his room and makes his way through the alpha's bedroom, where he can instantly tell that something is up. Because while one window is slightly opened and it's clean as always in here, there's a scent lingering in the room that Eren finds very hard to interpret correctly. 

There a hints of anger and frustration, of something not being quite right, mixed into it though. Something else, too. But what that may or may not be, that's nothing Eren can say for certain. All he knows is that it's not the normal scent of slight annoyance and calming tea that's usually evident in Levi's smell. 

Why he can even pick up on those subtleties, Eren isn't entirely sure. But that may very well just have to do with the fact that since Levi seems to be a physically and mentally strong alpha, his scent isn't of the weak type either. 

The whole thing has Eren a bit curious. Both the fact that Levi hasn't shown up and the smell are somewhat strange, and his steps quicken as he moves towards the living room. 

He's greeted by the smell of coffee and the sight of the alpha sitting on the couch and staring at the TV, although it looks a bit more like he's staring straight through the screen. When the omega walks closer toward him, Levi's head turns towards Eren as if he's shocked to see him there. 

"Morning," Eren says, his tone a bit careful, testing the waters. Memories of their little exchange yesterday evening are still on his mind, and he's not sure whether that's a good thing.

"Morning," Levi mutters dismissively, and his eyes are quick to focus on the screen once again. Something about it bugs Eren, although it would be hard to explain what exactly it is. Maybe he's just overthinking this because the man on the couch is basically his only human company at the moment, but still it's as if something is wrong with Levi. And Eren can't shake the feeling that it might have to do with him. But then again, what if he's just being a bit too self centred thinking that any problem the alpha might have could have to do with him. 

It's not like Levi really cares much about Eren anyway, so probably he's just not in the best mood. Anything could be the cause of that. 

"I guess we'll go running soon?" Eren asks, trying to get him to talk some more. 

"You're staying here today, I'll go alone," the alpha tells Eren and if the boy was bothered before, he sure is feeling even more so now. 

"What do you mean, I'm staying here?" he says, a sinking feeling in his chest as he hears that his voice sounded sad just now, more than anything. It's a bit like a punch in the face, being excluded like that. 

"I don't need a repeat of what happened yesterday," the man replies sharply. 

"As if that would happen again," Eren tells him, sounding somewhat dejected, defensive.

"If I go alone, I'm sure it won't," Levi tells the omega, and the way his smell is obviously getting more and more annoyed by the second almost is enough to make Eren turn around and leave the room. But he forces himself to stay, because he honestly wants an explanation for whatever exactly it might be that's going on with Levi this morning.

"I want to come with you though," Eren says before realising that this didn't only sound demanding, but a bit desperate too. 

Levi doesn't really say anything and so Eren just stands there, now deciding to move a bit closer towards the alpha, as if that might help him decipher the man. 

"This time I'll say something before I feel like fainting, promise!" he continues when there's no real reaction to interpret. 

After about a minute, the alpha sighs loudly, like an old man. 

"Fine. But we're late already. Eat something and then we leave," he tells Eren in a commanding tone that the brunette isn't too happy about. He keeps his eyes on the alpha, but Levi is still stubbornly focused on the screen. It's frustrating, for him not to give a damn about Eren. 

It makes him want to yell and punch him, or perhaps cry. Maybe both. 

In the end he settles on a grumpy, "I'm not hungry," which appears to be the wrong choice as the frustration in Levi's scent grows at his words. 

"No more collapsing. You're going to eat something," the man says, and for whatever reason his annoyed way of talking to Eren doesn't make the boy want to attack him just now. Instead, it sort of worries him. For what exact reason, he can't be sure, but Eren does feel like it could be something in his scent. Something that's too small for words, but there undeniably, like a shadow cast within another shadow. 

Now that he's known the alpha for a bit, he's become quite good at reading the other (or that's what it feels like at least) and since the raven's face never gives away much, he has to rely mostly on his sense of smell and his intuition. Which is right now telling him to do as the alpha says, and actually eat something because that's probably the healthiest course of action anyway. 

Of course something inside him loudly gasps at the idea of following an order from not just anyone, but an alpha. The thought doesn't bother him too much though, or maybe it just isn't worth a fight first thing in the morning. 

Whatever it is, Eren grabs himself another apple, and is about to pour himself a glass of coke when Levi speaks up again. 

"You can't be serious about drinking that first thing in the morning. That's like asking for your teeth to turn brown, rot and fall out." 

So apparently now, Levi actually is watching Eren. Although his words sound grumpy and like he's convinced that Eren doesn't have a brain at all, he still had to be watching just now to even be able to make that comment. 

And indeed, Eren's eyes easily find those light grey ones turned in his direction. 

That definitely shouldn't mean anything at all, but this tiny fact is somehow enough for the boy to feel something along the lines of relief. Up until now, he didn't even think that his sudden dismissive attitude bothered him that much, and yet here he is, happy to be made fun of just because it means that the alpha payed attention.

In a twisted way, it's as if Levi actually gives a damn about Eren's health and although it isn't much, it puts a tiny smile on the omega's lips despite the somewhat tense atmosphere. Eren wordlessly continues what he's doing though, his back turned towards the alpha as he raises the glass and takes a sip, only to make an exaggerated 'this is so refreshing' noise afterwards. 

"You're fucking hopeless," Levi comments. 

"Always have been," Eren agrees, his eyes on the man as he exits the room, probably to put on some clothes more suitable for running. Alone in the kitchen now, he hurries to eat his apple, and downs the glass of coke in seconds before going over to his own room to look for something to wear. 

-

There are perhaps a thousand things that Levi would much rather be doing today than running through the forest with Eren. Although they've barely been outside for 5 minutes, jogging alongside each other at a rather slow pace compared to yesterday, he's honestly convinced that Eren's smell is intensified by such little amounts of physical activity already. Or maybe he's just too aware of the boy and the sound of his exhausted breaths that comes somewhat close to the sounds Eren made in his dream for different reasons altogether. 

Either way, the usual sense of relaxation that paradoxically washes over him during his morning run is replaced by tension, and guilty thoughts. 

He wonders for a moment what Eren would think of him if he ever found out about that dream, which will definitely never happen though. The omega would probably call him disgusting again, or maybe even call him a pedophile or a creep or whatever. Maybe he'd punch him in the face, too. Or just ignore him altogether. 

Why he's even thinking about that fictional scenario, the alpha honestly finds very hard to figure out. His mind is not like that usually, betraying him and acting by itself without his command. He definitely isn't going to tell anyone about that, and Eren is the last person who would ever need to hear this particular story. It's bad enough that apparently that fucked up dream messed with something inside Levi's brain and now his thoughts keep drifting back to Eren what seems like every five seconds. His eyes to the very same thing although he's already trying his best to act professional. It's like an instinct though, like some invisible string keeps his eyes searching for Eren.

For a brief moment the alpha wonders if he's losing his mind, because the sudden obsession with Eren cannot be a healthy thing. 

"Okay so what is it? Your smell keeps going from pissed off to murderous and back and it's a bit exhausting," Eren tells him while running, his brows furrowed and the strangest look of worry on his face. It makes the alpha realise how much their relationship has changed already compared to their first meeting when they were basically just spitting fire in each other's direction. He realises that he has changed, too. Somehow within just a few days, he seems to somehow have become deserving of a gaze like that from Eren, and the worst thing about that is that he sure as hell doesn't even deserve it. 

What's he supposed to say, he wonders, 'sorry but you were a great kisser in my dream tonight and I had to wash the bedsheets afterwards if you know what I mean'? Yeah, that would surely go very smoothly. 

'Fuck my life,' he repeats in his head like an unhelpful mantra. 

So he doesn't say anything, and runs a little bit faster instead, intending to get Eren out his sight. If only to gather some clearer thoughts. But of course the omega won't have any of that, and although he's probably already exhausted, Eren speeds up too, appearing beside Levi just two seconds later. 

"Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?" Eren asks, and along with it comes the smell of insecurity, soft like fear but harsh like sitting in a room full of mirrors when you don't want to see yourself. Levi doesn't want the be the reason the boy smells like that, although it kind of shocks him that Eren would even ask him so openly. He doesn't seem to be the type to enjoy displaying his insecurities, although that could be said of most humans. Just now however, the boy did exactly that, and Levi can definitely tell that it's a huge step. 

To a certain degree, Eren has trusts him already, which is much faster than Levi anticipated it would take. 

Although it feels a bit different from the trust that others of the omegas have shown so far in his job. Usually, they feel the kind of trust for him that one would feel for their psychiatrist. 

Eren however asks him personal questions instead of the other way around, and considering that the boy avoids alphas at all cost, this means something. That's for sure. 

"You didn't do anything wrong, why would you think that?" Levi asks, trying to get around answering Eren's question. 

The boy in turn points at a fallen tree by the side of the path, and apparently he wants to sit down while talking instead of doing so while they run. Levi wants to complain about that at first because he never once took a break during his morning run so far, but then he remembers how close to fainting Eren came yesterday, and he doesn't need to think twice about complying. 

So like two lost wanderers, they sit down on the tree that's already dried thanks to the morning sun. Eren places himself rather close to the man, although it's hard to say whether he did it consciously or not. If Levi couldn't smell that Eren is a bit nervous, he'd see it easily, because apparently now the omega has somehow lost a bit of his confidence, eyes anywhere but on Levi as if he's suddenly very, very interested in the forest around them.

"You haven't answered my question," Levi remarks, "why do you think you've done something wrong?" 

His eyes are brutal now, not once leaving the boy's face, and apparently the gaze is strong enough to make sure Eren cannot just ignore it. His green eyes find silver ones eventually, and Eren takes a particularly sharp intake of breath. 

"Uh," he says, before falling quiet again. 

"Come on, I'd like to know why you think that," Levi says, in a light but somewhat demanding tone. 

"You just seemed so mad at something and I, uh.. I was wondering if you were mad at me for what I did yesterday evening," he says, the pace of his words increasing with each one. 

Levi blinks at him, not entirely sure which incident the boy is referring to. Eren seems to understand that from his expression alone, and continues on although the alpha can tell that he has a hard time speaking about the topic and is probably regretting this conversation already. 

"When I made you smell me, I shouldn't have told you to do that. That was totally inappropriate and I don't even know what was going through my mind, and I get it if you think that it was a weird thing to ask... because it totally was and I-" 

"Eren," Levi interrupts him, and he has the boy's attention all on him. "I'm not mad at you, I just had a bad dream that had me a bit annoyed. That's all. Don't worry so much," he says as if he doesn't worry all the time about a lot of things himself. 

But it appears to work because the boy actually lets out a breath, and looks visibly less troubled than he did seconds ago. And something inside Levi feels more than proud of his ability to help Eren with such useless, small words. Eren's scent reflects his feeling of relief beautifully, accentuating the sweetness and warmth of his normal smell. 

Happiness smells so good on Eren, it honestly terrifies Levi how addictive that scent is. But the boy is quick to jump from one thought to another apparently, because in the next second there's that hint of insecurity again, as if it never truly left. 

"You just looked so disgusted for a moment yesterday and I thought.. I .. basically shoved my neck in your face, just like all those alpha assholes I hate force their disgusting scent on omegas, so.." 

Apparently Eren just won't let the topic die, and it's almost as if he's waiting to hear a certain answer, but doesn't ask for it directly. Either the boy just likes to put himself down or he refuses to say what this is really about for another reasin. So far, Levi can only take a wide guess at whatever insecurity it is that might be plaguing to omega at the moment. 

"You don't disgust me, so get that thought out of your head first of all. I was a bit surprised at your actions, but you weren't threatening me in any way. I could have just left the room, but I didn't. Therefore you didn't force me to do anything, so don't put yourself down over something that wasn't half as bad as you make it sound." 

"..." 

"I mean it, kid." 

Eren doesn't look entirely convinced though, like Levi is only telling him what he wants to hear. 

Which is partially true because explaining to Eren that he seriously had been suffering in a sense when he offered his neck of all things up to him so freely would probably only frighten the boy. Especially since that suffering hadn't been of the disgusted kind at all. 

It's a bit like Eren put him under a spell with that tiny action, making it impossible for Levi to any longer ignore the matter entirely. 

That's when an idea poisons Levi's mind that he shouldn't even be toying with. But as soon as it's there, the man knows that he lost already because his inner alpha just cannot refuse to let a chance like that go to waste. 

If the boy is so ashamed of what he did, Levi reasons, then maybe showing him that his actions yesterday are nothing to be embarrassed about would actually help him.

"If it makes you feel better, you can smell me, too. That way, we're even," he says in an expressionless voice, almost regretting his words once they're out of his mouth. It's the last thing he should have suggested, and yet he finds himself strangely curious. As if Eren, the kid who passionately hates alphas would really do that, right?

That doesn't exactly answer the question of why Levi suggested it at all though.

-

A short silence follows Levi's suggestion and Eren is busy wondering whether he really just heard what he think he did. Did Levi really just say that? Just like that?

Eren finally has the courage to turn and look at the alpha's face, and there's not a hint of a joke on his features. Levi looks a bit tense instead, his jaw tight and his forehead painted with a wrinkle or two, and the omega wishes once more that reading people's thoughts was a thing. The man is just so hard to understand or make sense of, it's almost ridiculous.

Somehow the brunette felt like a small child receiving a gift though upon hearing him say that... and watching the raven tilt his head so slightly that the movement almost escapes Eren is the final straw. 

"You, uh.. Mean that?" the omega asks, his eyes on the man's neck as his heart beats a bit too fast. He faintly recognises the fact that he hates alphas, despises their smell, their closeness, but that's just that. That fact melts into a useless puddle thanks to the other thoughts that are just a bit louder at the moment.

Thoughts that he definitely wouldn't be thinking if it weren't for that beast inside him. 

But Levi, the very man who refuses to tell most omegas his name, is currently inviting him to smell him, and although Eren is never entirely sure how to interpret such gestures, it feels like that might be somewhat of a big deal. He knows that for some reason, perhaps curiosity, he wants to actually try. Just to see what happens.

For moments, he feels torn between the loud thoughts and the quieter ones in the back of his head whispering that he has a reason for staying away from alphas. Why would he want to smell the man? The whole house already smells like him anyway. 

That's somehow different though, and something makes him feel like this isn't such a bad idea. Perhaps it's just the memory of yesterday morning, of the strange calmness that had settled over Eren once he was so close to the alpha. 

If anything, this can be an experiment. To see if he loses his self control like that again, which he really hopes won't happen. Why should it though? Today, he's fine and not about to collapse. 

Perhaps he just feels like accepting the invitation because just minutes ago he was honestly a bit terrified at the idea of Levi not caring about him anymore, or being mad at him. So it would be unwise to decline now that he offers such a thing, wouldn't it? 

Eren isn't even entirely sure anymore. 

"I mean it," Levi says with his somewhat of a scratch in his voice, and Eren's eyes ask him the same question once more, just to make sure. He could swear he can see it in those silver eyes that Levi isn't playing a trick on him or anything, and once that much is clear, Eren begins to move a bit closer to the man, crawling across the wood and kneeling down by Levi's side. 

His movements aren't half as casual as he wants to make them appear, and the boy really has no idea how to go about this without making it too weird. 

Although to be honest, sitting in the middle of the forest and smelling his therapist is probably as weird as it gets, but he cannot really bring himself to care, his excitement is simply too distracting of an emotion. He should be more worried, more careful- but there's no real fear, just a hint of insecurity because Eren has never done this, at least not consciously.

His body moves on though, and Levi gives him this weird half smirk, as if it's greatly amusing to watch the boy struggle like that. 

It really does make Eren feel like a kid somehow, and he's really aware of his own lack of experience when it comes to such things. There's something else though, a feeling that's more restless and demanding, and it fills his body once he's getting closer to the man, his smell welcoming Eren, telling him to move closer. 

He's not really thinking about much anymore by the time he leans in, careful not to accidentally touch the alpha in the process. 

Levi goes ahead and tilts his head some more, his black locks of hair falling like black rain on his white skin at the parts where his hair isn't cut short. A breath catches in Eren's throat at that, and before really smelling him, his eyes travel across all the skin the other is baring to him. His neck is the sort that reveals a bit of muscle, but like Levi in general, it's on the thin side. The alpha's jawline is perhaps what holds the boy's attention for the longest time. 

And then, his eyes focus on the area of the alpha's scent glands, and a memory of rubbing himself against that part of Levi is like a warm wave, washing over Eren's head. 

"You're staring again," Levi comments, and it's only after Eren is done staring at the way his Adam's apple moves while speaking that he understands the words, a red color taking over his face easily. 

"Sorry," he mumbles absently, wondering if maybe Levi's smell is indeed making his rational thoughts disappear again. He certainly feels a bit weird. 

Not wanting to stretch this out any longer, the omega finally leans in completely, his face now underneath the alpha's ear, and the rest comes naturally to him. He breathes in deeply, once and then again. And again. 

There's something unspeakable about what it feels like to do this, or perhaps it really is the smell in itself that has Eren thinking that. Something about it doesn't feel as innocent as it probably should, and yet there's that smell - it fills up Eren's lungs like it's all he needs to survive, and thoughts are getting quieter by the second. 

He doesn't know how long he's been doing this for, sitting here and breathing in the other man, but somehow Levi isn't stopping him and perhaps he should have, because what happens next is perhaps not something Eren planned. Or did he? 

It's hard to tell, and all the boy knows is that after a while of smelling the man, it's not exactly enough anymore. 

And then, he closes his eyes and finds himself recklessly tackling the man, almost causing him to fall off the dead tree, but the alpha is somehow quick enough to find balance again, despite the way Eren is now leaning over him, his body moving on its own again as he does the very same thing he did yesterday. 

Levi's scent must be some special kind of poison, that much is certain, because it seems to affect Eren every time, given he takes a strong enough dosage.

Eren feels intoxicated to the point of madness already, rubbing himself into the man and unable to keep himself from making some noises now and then. It's perhaps not very omega like, the way he just pushed the alpha down and is now attacking him with a passion that he didn't exactly know he had in him when it comes to things of this nature. 

But the energy and the urgency are both there, and Eren seems to have lost himself somewhere in between. Relief and a desire for more of that scent, of that feeling, are dancing in his heart, and the boy grabs Levi by his shirt with a tight fist, pulling the man closer still. 

"Eren," Levi's voice comes from above the boy, a warning tone that should snap him out of it, but currently does no such thing. 

The brunette is only half sure, but he thinks he started purring at some point in the last minute, and now he can't seem to remember how to stop. If it weren't for his current distracted state, he'd have recognised this as the point were he should really stop doing this, because it's already had enough that this is happening again. 

But under the influence of Levi, he feels like those thoughts really aren't worth thinking about, and a certain warmth blooms in his chest when he notices that the man's scent is about everywhere on him now, though it could still he stronger. 

Which is why he finds himself continuing to push the alpha down, and one curious hand pushes the fabric of Levi's dark shirt aside to gain more access to his skin. Levi smells like tea to Eren. Finely made black tea with just the right amount of bitterness for it to be perfect, and maybe a bit of honey added. 

He smells a bit stressed, too, and also the opposite of it. Levi's confusing like that. But most of all, he realises that Levi smells like Eren too, now. 

His scent isn't nearly as intense as the alpha's, but it has somehow mixed with it during all of his movements and rubbing, and now it's like the alpha is wearing a perfume made of the two of them together. 

It's addictive in its own way, and no less so than the alpha's own personal scent. 

"Levi," this time it's Eren who says the other's name, but it sounds foreign to Eren's ears although it's clearly his own voice. He sounds so needy though, like he's been starving for months, and knows that Levi can give him whatever it is he needs.

And the next thing Eren knows, is that suddenly he isn't on the tree anymore, and his back hits the dirty floor instead, only for Levi to pin him down a second later. His brain takes a while to put the pieces together, and he isn't even done by the time it happens. 

Eren has known Levi for a bit now, not necessarily a long time, but long enough to have somewhat of an idea of what the man is like. And the way he is looking at Eren in this very moment, with somewhat clouded eyes and wide pupils, staring at Eren like he's something to eat, that's definitely a side of him Eren hasn't seen before. 

He isn't sure whether he finds it scary or exciting, and probably that's because it's both.

At the moment, everything is to much to analyse with conscious thoughts, and being trapped underneath the man seems to trigger something inside of Eren. It's as if he doesn't need to think about what happened or what to do, because he instinctively knows how to react. 

A quiet whine leaves his lips, soft and aimed at Levi directly, before all tension leaves Eren's body, and he has no idea what it happening, feeling paralysed although he knows that this is still his own body, his own behavior. It just doesn't feel like it, especially when the brunette turns half his face in the direction of the dirty floor, leaving his neck wide open and defenseless for the alpha. 

That's nothing he's ever done, or considered before, and it's scary to see how naturally it all comes to him still. 

Every now and then, Eren almost manages to convince himself that if he fights hard enough, he can win against his demanding nature. It's times like this that show him that perhaps this isn't really true in the end. 

Because there's not a damn thing he can do about this, and maybe it's because he's so far gone that he doesn't even want to. Levi seems a bit too far away although he's right above him, until then suddenly, the alpha moves. 

But instead of moving away like Eren instantly feared he would, the man leans down, his hands an almost welcome weight on Eren's wrists, and his smell that becomes stronger again is just as welcome as far as it concerns the omega. 

Eren makes another noise then, purring again and holding still underneath the alpha becomes harder and harder, and yet the omega tries his best to not struggle so much. 

It's just that his heart is beating quite violently, and Eren sort of fears that Levi notices it as well. 

If the alpha does take note of it, he doesn't seem to mind. Instead of commenting on anything or talking at all, Eren can feel the man approaching, even with his green eyes closed tightly. Breathing is hard in those moments, because now he officially has not a hint of a clue of what's going on anymore. 

When Levi is suddenly breathing on the skin in the back of his neck and near his scent glands, Eren is literally so surprised and overwhelmed that he tenses up, trying to move backwards a little bit, although he logically knows it's of no use. If an alpha as powerful as Levi wants to keep him trapped underneath him, there's hardly any way out. 

That thought terrifies the boy all of a sudden, and he becomes acutely aware of the fact that he really is trapped, with no way out and no idea what Levi plans on doing currently. 

A low growl is enough to stop any further thoughts from traveling through his mind. The noise sends shivers all over the omega's body, and a desperate noise falls past Eren's lips in reply. 

Then, he holds as still as he can as Levi comes closer again, apparently taking his time breathing in Eren's scent, just like he did yesterday evening. His breath tickles as it meets Eren's tanned skin, and there's so much tension in the air that the boy isn't so sure he can handle it for much longer. 

And while there's panic, there's also a strange giddiness at the thought of Levi liking Eren's smell. It shouldn't matter at all, but in the moment there's not much else Eren can think of other than wishing that the alpha is pleased with him. 

The next thing Levi does catches him by surprise though, because as if their roles have been switched, the alpha starts to put his scent on the omega with careful but thorough movements, as if to make sure that he smells like him entirely. And for some reason, Eren cannot help but let a moan slip past his lips, his eyes still closed as he let's himself sink into the hint of possessiveness that the alpha is displaying. His scent serves to drug him in just the right way again, and all kinds of supportive noises are made by the omega as Levi goes about his business, marking Eren with his scent like he belongs to him. 

Even if the boy wanted to move, he wouldn't be able to, therefore he just remains in the same position, pushing up against the man though. Levi's breathing is getting increasingly more messy on top of Eren, like he's losing himself more and more as well. 

"Aah," the omega moans with a breathy voice, his fingernails sinking into the dirt beneath him when he can feel Levi's tongue on his neck, tasting him shamelessly and making him feel incredibly good with such a small, soft touch... 

And then Levi stops. Just like that. 

And the world is still spinning around Eren, which is why it takes him about 10 seconds or so to realise that not only the touch on his neck is missing, but so is the pressure on his wrists. Some twisted part of Eren's mind hopes that he'll at least have some bruises on his wrist from the weight of the man being pressed on his skin, but he doubts it. 

Green, confused eyes fall open to find get alpha standing, quite a bit away from Eren, looking at the omega like he's some sort of mythical creature that suddenly came to life in front of his eyes. 

"What did you stop?" Eren asks, his voice innocent and a little bit disappointed, like he just woke up from an intense dream. This is reality though, and it only hits him a bit later that he just asked an alpha why he stopped rubbing his scent on him. 

That's not the type of question Eren ever saw himself asking, really. And he sure as hell has a lot of things to think about and figure out now. 

"Eren, snap out of it. Fucking hell, that shouldn't have happened in the first place! You don't want this and neither do I. Shit," the man curses. He looks like somewhat of a wreck now, moving around and rubbing his arms with his hands, as if he's making am effort to keep himself busy somehow. 

"What do you mean you don't want this?" Eren asks, unsure what exactly 'this' includes in the first place. 

"I mean that I just lost control and scent marked you like a damn teenager who doesn't have his urges under control. I could have hurt you," the raven says, his voice betraying the mental turmoil he's experiencing, and it's in his smell, too. 

"I started it though," the boy admits, although the words aren't that easy to get out, but they're still true. "And the same thing as yesterday happened. I don't know why, it's just.. I think I'm losing my mind, of course you wouldn't want me to do that," Eren finishes and by the end of it, he honestly sounds broken, terrified of himself. 

"Eren. I've been trained to do this job. No matter the situation, I should be the one who keeps a clear head. Which I didn't." 

"Why though? If you find it so easy to control yourself, then why couldn't you?" Eren asks him, his cheeks burning now that the pheromones are reeking of distress and chaos much rather than the steamy sweetness they produced a minute ago. 

"Let's not talk about this now. We need to get back and take a shower and then we can talk," the alpha says in a tone that sounds pretty final. 

"Why can't we talk now?" 

"Because I don't think it's a good idea for you to run around smelling like me, as I've explained before. And I'm not supposed to smell like you either, so we're taking the short way back home," he says, a bit of aggression in the alpha, and in Eren's state, it's enough to get him to shut his mouth and actually stand up. 

He finds himself yet again unsure whether he wants to hit the alpha, or repeat what they just did. It's always like that somehow with Levi. Each bit of closeness that Eren shouldn't want in the first place ends too fast, and leaves him feeling like the man doesn't really care about him. 

Logically, that's most likely his own issue and it's only being accentuated by the other's behavior because Levi somehow seems to hit a nerve. At the same time, he's the first person in a long time who doesn't. It's strange to even think about, and perhaps impossible to explain. 

All Eren knows is that this time when Levi offers him a hand to help him stand up, he doesn't push it away or ignore it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long, there's not much of an excuse except that my life is a mess (as always) and university is also something I'm trying to get used to.. 
> 
> I also need to thank all of you again, it's so strange to think that so many people read this and actually comment and.. I don't even know, you're just great and although I'm very bad at replying to comments I read all of them and it means a lot and keeps me motivated to write! 
> 
> enjoy this chapter hopefully, and I'll try my best to get the next one finished soon.
> 
> also, if anyone wants to know, my tumblr is called gentleincision so if you have questions or anything, feel free to talk to me there (:

Levi must have done something horrible in a past life or else he can't explain to himself why this is happening to him. He's never really viewed himself as a good guy, but he wouldn't say that he's a terrible person either. Or rather, wouldn't have. Up until today that is. 

Because the shock of what happened hasn't faded completely, and now running back to the house with a suddenly very quiet Eren is honestly one of the strangest situations he's experienced in his life, because there's this helplessness that he cannot help but feel. The omega still smells like him, just as Levi is covered in Eren's scent. But that's not really his main concern right now, because the boy also smells like his soul has been stabbed with multiple knives at the same time. 

It's exactly as Levi dreaded, because now Eren is in pain and there's not a damn thing he dares to do. If he was in physical pain, it would most likely be easy to fix, but this isn't some superficial wound, but much rather an emotional poisoning that Levi caused, yet again. They've been quiet like this for about five minutes now, and Levi has about zero ideas of what to say. He's supposed to be ready for any situation in his job, to always know what to do. 

And at the moment, he doesn't only feel like he's failing at doing his job, but at something much more basic and important than that. It may very well be messing with his head that the two of them smell like each other now, because the man currently feels like the biggest failure of an alpha this world has ever seen. He feels something inside of him screaming loudly, desperately, because he shouldn't let Eren be hurt by anyone, including himself. The omega is supposed to find safety in him, not sorrow or fear.

It's that particular thought that makes the alpha grab the omega's arm out of nowhere. 

Although he isn't ready for this conversation at all, this needs to happen sooner rather than later. Because if it makes Eren feel only half as bad as his smell suggests, then Levi doesn't want the boy to be plagued by their silence for a moment longer than is necessary. 

He can tell that his inner alpha is messing with his brain here, but that isn't all. It feels right to resolve this, to at least try and make things better; maybe apologising would be a good idea? 

Usually, the people who hang around him need to get used to the fact that Levi doesn't put a lot of energy in socialising at all. He oftentimes doesn't see the point in being too polite or careful with others, because it's just acting anyway. It's not who he is, or thought he was. But with Eren - that might be a bit of a different story for some confusing reason. 

He's pretty much focused on the boy entirely, and Eren is like a drop of black ink on a white wall. Levi cannot help but notice him, can't get him out of the picture. He finds it incredibly hard to describe what Eren's presence does to him. Something wonderful, and horrible. 

Eren almost drops face first to the ground as Levi stops him abruptly like this. He makes sure to keep his hold steady though, and therefore the brunette remains standing, looking at the raven with confused eyes and breathing loudly.

"I've told you before that you smell horrible when you're sad," Levi begins, already regretting his lack of planning this, "and if you want to talk about what happened that badly, then we will do that now." His grey eyes are on the tanned skin of the brunette's neck as he speaks, traveling there despite his clear plan of talking everything through and finding an acceptable solution. Levi forces himself to focus on anything other than the fresh memory of what it felt like to have Eren beneath him.

It all seems to be a bit too much judging by the omega's apparent inability to form an answer underneath such a heavy stare. There's obviously a lot going on behind those pretty green eyes, and although Levi isn't sure he can help, he'd sure as hell love to. 

"You don't even understand anything," Eren says in a tone that surprises the alpha greatly, because he's back to his pissed off attitude now, those expressive eyes hardening and his arms crossed in front of his chest. Of course this isn't going to be easy, the alpha shouldn't have expected it to be. 

"You want to explain?" Levi asks, because he isn't even entirely sure what he isn't understanding here, and that sort of proves the boy's point in a way. The alpha takes a step closer towards Eren, only half aware of the fact that he's doing that. 

"Actually no, I don't feel like talking about any of it. Can we just go? I'm dying to get your scent off me," Eren says and somehow Levi feels a wave of anger crash over his head at those words. It's not like it the omega's reaction is entirely unjustified, but hearing Eren say it out loud that he doesn't want Levi's smell on him is too much. Although he told the omega the exact same thing. 

Rational thinking isn't currently an available option though, or so it seems.

An angry growl leaves his lips, and a soft whimper from the boy follows immediately. Levi is vaguely aware of his own actions, but way more aware of how responsive Eren is towards them, visibly bothered by his anger, and by the fact that Eren's inner omega doesn't necessarily seem to agree with his brain in this situation. That's just typical, of course the boy is fighting himself yet again. 

"You don't mean that," Levi says, sounding sure and decided, like a wall with no way around or over it. 

Considering the fact that he doesn't even know why he said that, it definitely is impressive just how certain it came across.

"Honestly? Fuck you, you don't get to tell me what I'm thinking about or not," Eren counters, and it somehow feels better to have him angry than sad. He's challenging Levi again, and that's at least a hint of normalcy between them.

"I can tell you when you're lying though. I can smell it, and you were lying just now," Levi argues, his gaze not backing down from the boy. Something inside of him needs to hear it - that Eren doesn't want to get rid of Levi's marking. That he has to, but doesn't really want it to happen.

Eren's face is the same shade as fire as the words sink in, but his embarrassment quickly seems to turn into fuel for another explosion of anger. It's as if the simple difference of smelling like each other also carries another consequence with it. As if it turns them into a mirror for each other's feelings of sorts, too. Or maybe it just accentuates them. 

"That's bullshit, scents don't work like that. You've known me for what? Two days? I was stupid to think that you'd maybe become a less arrogant asshole once I get to know you but fine, apparently not. Forget it, we have nothing to even talk about!" the omega yells and now Levi feels like it's honestly been enough. 

He grabs Eren by the front of his shirt, and pulls him so close that the boy is sure to feel his breath on his skin. 

"Kid, I'm being really patient already, so don't test me or you'll regret it," Levi tells him, his voice cold and sharp like ice, the frustration heavy inside of him. It reflects in his scent too, and actually is enough to keep the boy from struggling. Instead his body stops moving, and his bones seem frozen, all tension gone. 

His eyes are still wild though, as if he hates himself for having to back down when he's confronted with Levi's angry scent. And Levi gets that, that it isn't easy for him to back down when he feels threatened by someone or something. But the thing is that they can't just go back to zero like this because of one small incident. He can't just let the other refuse to talk about it, and maybe the bitter and harsh truth is that it isn't only for Eren's sake that he wants to talk about what happened, but for his own as well. Because as shitty as it sounds, the situation is hard for both of them. And communication is supposed to be the one thing in the world that makes everything easier, isn't it? 

That's what he tells himself when a helpless little whine leaves the omega's mouth, and Levi is not entirely sure but Eren might be crying again, and of course Levi just made everything worse for him although he wanted to achieve the complete opposite. 

Once that realisation hits him, his hands loosen on Eren's shirt and he takes five seconds just to breathe and try to keep his scent from exploding like that on the omega again. 

Eren's breathing is heavy, and he now uses one hand to cover his eyes, his body shaking while smells like fear and anger and sadness. And Levi can barely look at the mess he made out of the boy without wanting to punch himself in the face. 

They stand there close to each other like this for a few moments, before Eren drops his hand and speaks up. His eyes are a bit glassy, but apparently he wasn't really crying, although that doesn't help Levi feel much better about what he did. 

"You're the one who said that we need get our scents off each other as fast as possible, and when I agree to that you tell me I'm lying. What am I supposed to even say or think if all you do is confuse me?" he asks, with a strangely quiet voice, obviously still shaken. 

And Levi still feels as useless as before, because he cannot answer that question. 

"I'm sorry," he says and without really meaning to he reaches out for Eren's arm, putting his hand on it in a feather light touch, whether to calm down Eren or himself, he isn't sure. By the time he's aware of the fact that he's doing this, it would already be weird to pull back, so he lets his hand stay where it is for now.

"This- all of it, it honestly frustrates me so much and I shouldn't take it out on you. I shocked myself with what I did. I'm not usually affected by omegas in the slightest and I don't know what's wrong with me at the moment, I just keep losing control around you and maybe.. this isn't going to work out. I should just talk to Erwin and he'll help you then. It's easier that way," Levi tells the boy, although the words are anything but easy to force out of his mouth. It still seems like the only option though, because he definitely cannot trust himself around the boy and given the feeling that Eren might have experienced some bad things, he definitely doesn't want to hurt or scare the boy. If he needs to keep his distance to be able to ensure Eren's wellbeing, then that's how it has to be.

-

"No! You can't just decide that, I don't want to stay with Erwin. It's fine, nothing happened and you didn't do anything wrong okay? We'll just shower and not talk about it again, alright?" Eren's voice sounds stressed, even to his own ears. Although he doesn't like the idea of showing weakness to the other, his brain goes into an instant panic mode at the thought of being sent away to the other alpha. It's as if all his meaningless anger fades when it comes to that thought, replaced by a desperate sort of feeling that takes a hold over him entirely. Levi cannot just push him away like that, he just can't. At the same time Eren is very aware of the fact that he probably can do just that, if he considers it the right thing to do..

"We can't just not talk about it, and that wasn't nothing, Eren. Also, this isn't some sort of punishment, it would simply be better for you to have someone around who you can rely on to have your best interest in mind." 

"You have my best interest in mind though, not him," Eren counters, like a child ready to fight his parent. He's sure that Levi can smell his anxiety at the idea of being sent away, because the feeling is just a bit too intense not to be reflected in his scent. 

"Obviously I don't, and I'm sorry," Levi tells him. 

"Whatever you're telling yourself right now is nonsense. You really want to know? I wasn't afraid, and I wasn't disgusted. I threw myself at you before you did anything, and although I was surprised for a moment when you touched me like that, I didn't want you to stop. Okay? So you're right, I don't want to wash your smell off me but I know that I have to and if doing that means that I can stay with you instead of Erwin, then let's just go and I'll be sure to use tons of soap too! Just don't send me away," Eren's voice sounds angered in the beginning, but it turns into something much uglier as he keeps talking. It takes a lot to actually say those words, to admit to Levi that he was right. 

That Eren sort of likes to be covered in his scent like this, although it may very well just be the hormones clouding his brain. 

It doesn't help that their proximity makes him so acutely aware of the alpha while he opens up to him like that. He's already afraid because after spilling his secrets like this, he knows he'll be devastated if the alpha still talks to Erwin about handing Eren off to him. It's perhaps naive to assume that Levi would give a damn about his wishes, but the omega sincerely hopes that maybe the man understands somehow that he means it. 

He'd much rather stay with Levi, because he knows him. Although not very well, he knows enough to determine that he doesn't want to share a daily routine with Erwin instead of the raven. 

That would also mean that another omega would be sent here, someone else who Levi finds easier to handle. 

Like the poison of a deadly snake, this particular thought invades Eren's body and he doesn't even want to think about it. The issue seems to cause too much of an emotional reaction, and he cannot handle it. 

It terrifies Eren how terrified he is of being exchanged like that. 

Levi has a pained expression on his face too, and his hands are on Eren's arms, a warm and welcome weight. Strangely welcome, in fact.

"I definitely shouldn't feel this way, but I'd hate to hand you over to Erwin.. You're not making this easy for me kid," Levi says but all that Eren really hears is one thing. 

One small thing that doesn't seem so small at all. Levi doesn't want to get rid of him, doesn't want him to go. Not only that, but the way he just said this almost made him sound a bit possessive, and to his own surprise Eren's inner omega seems way too pleased with that.

Judging by the fact that Eren has started purring softly again, he cannot exactly hide that feeling from the alpha now. Although that doesn't matter too much to Eren at the moment, because what matters most is that he isn't going to be given to the other man.

"So you're not going to ask him?" he questions the alpha, a smile on his lips that won't seem to just go away because from the sound of it, Levi really doesn't want to. 

But the alpha remains silent, his gaze calculating and attentive on Eren, who does his best to make use of his puppy eyes in return. 

Eventually, the alpha breaks. 

"Fine. You'll stay with me, but this cannot happen again, so we need to create a few more rules and set boundaries specifically for you and me," he says, and Eren is more than fine with that arrangement if it means staying, not being rejected.

It's not as if he does it on purpose, but his first reaction is to wrap his arms around the alpha in relief, and if Levi wasn't as muscular he might have worried about hugging him too tightly and crushing the man. But since there's no real need to be afraid of that, the omega doesn't hold back. He's a bit shocked to find that Levi's muscles can actually be felt even through his clothes, and in the cloud that both their pheromones are creating around them, this just feels incredibly comforting. It feels like this is how it's supposed to be, and much better than all the pointless fights they keep having.

It's hard to say for how long they stay like that, and Eren can tell that the alpha isn't necessarily used to long hugs, because the man awkwardly places one hand on his lower back, only to pull it back and repeat. It's not like Eren expected him to hug him back though, so he's strangely okay with the lack of real hugging from Levi's side.

Although he would like it if the other didn't feel the need to hold back like that.

By the time five minutes must have passed, Eren speaks into the man's shoulder, "Thanks, Levi." 

And the words seem to make the other realise just how long they've been standing here like this, because he takes a step back and looks at Eren again. This time though, it's as if the emotional wall around Levi isn't quite as high, and the omega could swear that he sees something in those eyes that hasn't been there before. A softness that is both weird and extremely fitting for the man's face. 

Eren cannot even stand to look at his eyes for a long time somehow, and he's the first of them to break the eye contact, running his fingers through his hair to get it out of his eyes. The brown locks fall back into their original position easily though, like always. 

"We still need to get back home, kid," Levi says, not commenting on Eren's last words at all. 

"Sure, uh, let's go?" the omega asks him, a bit confused because he isn't so certain what Levi is thinking. Although his eyes were so damn expressive just seconds ago, he still remains infuriatingly professional somehow, and something about it bothers Eren. He never knows how much of the other is pretense, and how much isn't. Or maybe that feeling is off somehow and Levi simply is confusing like that. 

It's a weird thought, because Eren knows, or... thinks that this isn't anything but a job to the alpha. And to him, it's something he has to endure, something that he wishes he could somehow get out of, isn't it?

And also apparently something that matters to him... sort of, for whatever reason. Which is something he hasn't really felt in a long time, if ever. It's like all he's been trying to do lately is push others away. While the tendency is somewhat there with Levi, there's something bigger - a strange desire to keep the alpha in his life; so he can look at Eren with that gaze that talks about how everything will somehow be alright, although no one else could probably read something like that in such expressionless, cold eyes. 

And he finds it incredibly hard to ignore the confusing signals he gets from the alpha. There probably shouldn't be any kinds of signals in the first place, but it's pretty much undeniable that there is something, however small that might be, between them. Something Eren cannot put a name to, but if he tried to he might describe it as a strange feeling of having known the other for so much longer than he really has. 

It's a sort of understanding between them, the kind that perhaps not everyone could share.

Nothing great or spectacular, but something that is powerful enough to change something inside of Eren. For whatever reason, so many of his thoughts at the moment revolve around the raven that he feels like there's barely a second in the day where the other isn't in some form around him, whether mentally or physically. 

And that's sort of a big deal because now more than ever, covered in Levi's scent and with the memories of what happened fresh in his mind, he's also aware of one small detail. The fact that Levi is an alpha, and Eren shouldn't even be thinking any mushy thoughts about him. Even if it's just a vague feeling inside of him, it's somehow threatening, the idea that he has lost his self control around the alpha more than once thanks to nothing but his smell. 

If that had happened with anyone else, Eren knows he'd be more than freaked out. He'd probably have had an intense panic attack or something worse, because that's essentially one of his worst fears coming true. To be vulnerable like that, and inviting an alpha to abuse him when he's not even mentally there and is left alone to regret things once he comes back to his senses eventually.

It's terrifying, except somehow with Levi, it isn't quite as bad. 

Sure, Eren wouldn't exactly say that their situation wasn't a bit awkward and weird, but that's something entirely different to the terror he should be feeling, getting close to an alpha. 

That's the strangest thing about this - that he trusts Levi so much already, when there's not really any guarantee that he isn't exactly like the other alphas. Eren wants to believe that he's different, and the fact that he overlooked Eren's misbehavior yet again and allows him to stay with him is like fuel added to that thought. 

 

"Are you okay?" the raven asks him out of nowhere, a hint of worry in his face that could easily be overlooked if it weren't for the thorough way in which Eren looks at the man's face. 

"I'm fine, I.. yeah, it's just kind of a strange morning I guess," the omega tells him, with a stupid little smile on his face that he just can't seem to keep away. There's something nice about how Levi asks a question like that and look like he actually wants to know. 

"That's a bit of an understatement actually. But alright, come on then," Levi says, and Eren jogs towards him so they can run back next to each other.

-

"Fuck," is the only word that comes to Levi's mind as the two of them get closer to the building, because he can already see Hanji walking towards the same destination even from the distance. Long steps and somewhat of a weird yet strangely enthusiastic way of walking - that's definitely her. Which wouldn't be a problem if Eren and he didn't smell like they just did God knows what in the forest. 

"What?" Eren asks him, obviously clueless or maybe just too lost in his thoughts to notice the brunette. He's out of breath again, apparently really not in the best shape training-wise. Levi almost cracks a smile at that, but his thoughts are quick to move back to the current problem that's coming closer and closer. 

"Eren, we need to move a little faster if you don't want Hanji to freak out completely and throw a million questions at you, okay?" he asks, and since Eren is apparently unable to process the information that fast, the alpha simply grabs him by the hand and basically drags the tired omega to the back door in record speed. 

His movements are quick and luckily the lock of the door doesn't cause much trouble this time, allowing him to basically throw it open. 

Since Eren still seems entirely confused about the situation, he doesn't let go of the boy and leads him right into the bathroom instead. 

When they finally stand still, Eren looks like he's done more than enough sport for today. It takes a second or two for Levi to stop looking at him and remember to let go of his hand that is definitely sweaty and too warm, but not half as disgusting as Levi should find it. 

Which is sort of a big thing, because sweaty people are one of the things that are definitely on top of the alpha's 'things I hate' list. 

"Uh, what's going on exactly?" the omega asks him with his eyes stuck on his own hand that's now empty. 

"Nothing, just take a shower and I'll be out there trying to handle Hanji." 

"Oh, okay," comes the answer and Eren doesn't look too pleased with his task but there's nothing the alpha can really do about that. It's not like he can just let him walk around here where everyone would instantly recognise the scent on him as Levi's. 

"Sorry to rush you like this, but you honestly don't want Hanji over-analysing this, believe me," he says, because he's not so sure what else to say. 

"It's fine, I sort of need a shower anyway," the boy begins and some heavy knocking on the front door that can be heard all the way over here interrupts him. 

Levi nods at him with a thoughtful expression on his face and dread in his entire system. He forces himself out of the room though, although it feels somewhat weird to leave Eren alone now, but he can't exactly stay and watch him shower and shouldn't even be considering that at all. Ever. 

With his mind full of those types of thoughts, he walks towards the front door, only to find that Hanji has already let herself in because she's the type of person to copy his keys when she burrows them. 

So much for sending her away at the door, Levi thinks bitterly. 

"Ah, Levi. I thought no one was here and I was about to make myself comfortable and wait for you to return from your run. You're behind schedule, which is sort of unusual? Is everything alright?" she asks with her usual inquisitive look that tells the alpha that she's indeed interested.

Which isn't so good, because whenever he surprises her in any way by breaking habits, the woman starts asking questions and just won't stop. He already told her too much about his current situation as it is.

"Why the fuck do you even still have those keys? I told you to get rid of them. You don't just walk into other people's places like this," Levi tells her, his voice somewhat calm but obviously annoyed. He wonders for a brief moment if his intense annoyance has to do with the fact that she's not only intruding his space now, but Eren's too.

"Because obviously I'd rather wait inside the house than outside. Don't be silly, I know you don't actually mind, you just like to complain because it's your way of showing affection," she half sings, obviously in a good mood this morning, and already too much for the alpha to handle after everything else that has happened. 

"I'm not in the mood for your shit right now, why are you even here?" he asks, trying his best to make it look natural that he's standing in the other corner of the room than her.

"Can a woman not visit her grumpy best friend without a reason?" she of course asks, a cheeky grin on her face. 

"Are there any news concerning your.. situation?"

"My situation?" the alpha repeats, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion before it clicks. 

"Eren," she says the boy's name and it's sort of pitiful how Levi could swear his heart beats faster just hearing his name. Before he ever admits that to himself or anyone else, he'd rather rot in a dumpster though. 

A moment of silence follows that Hanji definitely notices but it's not like there's much Levi can do about that because he hasn't really thought this through and definitely isn't sure how much to reveal. Eventually, he breaks the silence, his voice coming out in the usual cold tone luckily. 

"First of all, tell me if you found out anything else," he says, leaving no room for arguing. Hanji is used to his way of escaping personal questions though, which might be the reasons she's now giving him an even more suspicious look. 

"Sorry to disappoint you, but so far I have as good as nothing," she says, standing up and walking towards the alpha while eyeing the desk. "You've been drinking coffee?" 

Leave it to this woman to notice such a small detail. 

"Just cup or two, I had some trouble sleeping," he tells her, but the heaviness of her gaze isn't lost on him. Hanji looks like a mother ready to scold her child for misbehaving, but when she opens her mouth she surprisingly doesn't start the whole 'you need to learn meditation and inform yourself about herbal teas that help with insomnia' speech.

Which is a very good thing, because Levi probably wouldn't have survived that again without causing harm either to her or himself. 

Instead, the brunette just nods at him, quite obviously lost in thought. 

"Nightmare?" she asks all of a sudden, making the right guess and yet simultaneously the opposite. Throughout the morning, Levi hasn't been able to get it entirely out of his head - both the images and feelings. And having Eren underneath him for real sure didn't help that situation either. 

"Let's just not talk about that," Levi says with a sigh following his words as he walks past her quickly and towards the table to pour himself a glass of water without offering one to Hanji. She knows she can get herself something to drink if she wants anything, he reasons.

"Alright, no talking about that then. So let's talk about why you smell like Eren scent-marked you instead," the words come out casually and without judgement, but Levi didn't think she noticed it at all and by the time he registers her words fully, his glass has already slipped out of his hand and fallen to the floor and Hanji stares at him with entirely too much amusement on her face as Levi stands in a puddle of water giving her the deadliest look he can.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long.. seasonal depression strikes again 
> 
> but here's the new chapter, and it's quite long too.. I get the feeling this story is going to end up very very long because I don't want to rush it too much between them 
> 
> and to be honest I'm still super shocked because I never expected so many people to read and like this fanfiction, I never really know what to say except thank you! it means very much to me and I keep saying this but it's just because it makes me so happy that you enjoy this story.. thanks to every one of you, you guys are the reason I don't give up on writing and try to keep improving (:
> 
> oh, and you can find me on tumblr as gentleincision

There's a strange feeling of loneliness surrounding Eren just a minute after Levi has pushed him into the bathroom and left to go and open the door. The alpha's smell on him both relaxes him and stresses him out - because he's not here right now, mostly. The thought in itself is ridiculous because it's not like Eren really wants Levi here when he's showering, but at the same time he kind of does now, apparently.

The rich smell of tea mixed with a masculine odor already sort of feels like it belongs on him, and although that thought terrifies Eren in different ways, it is still present enough to make him want to prolong the inevitable act of getting rid of the alpha's scent. It's like he's found the last piece for a complicated puzzle that he could just finish, and now Levi is asking him to scatter the pieces and destroy what little feeling of rightness he has been allowing himself to feel. 

It's been five minutes in here, and he still hasn't stepped into the shower and started to clean himself. Instead he's pacing around, walking through the small room while drowning in restless and nervous feelings and thoughts more and more as the seconds tick by.

It's not really helpful at all though, because the more he moves around, the more stressed he seems to feel, and this shouldn't be that hard at all. It's just a simple task; showering. Not like he ever had a problem with that before. But it's as if he's afraid of getting rid of the tiny detail that binds Levi and him together on a simple and yet very confusing manner. Although that still doesn't make much sense to the boy who has never wanted to share anything that resembles belonging with anyone. 

He wants to punch a wall, or something.. anything to get rid of this worried side of him that is really struggling here.

Until all of a sudden, his senses alarm Eren of something, green pupils dilating as he comes to an unexpected stop like a car that runs out of fuel at just the right spot. In front of the black laundry bin, of all things, which in itself is kind of odd. But it's not really a conscious action, more like his subconscious mind is telling him that there's something somehow important in here, and Eren doesn't stop to think twice about it.

Not when the pull is that strong.

Curious eyes are glued to the items thrown into the box, and although the boy would never usually even think about touching anyone else's dirty laundry, his hand reaches out for one of the pieces of clothing that turns out to be a shirt that Levi clearly wore not too long ago. His scent is everywhere on it, spicy in just the right way and with a hint of sweat that only makes Eren push it closer to his nose. 

Without really meaning to, he sort of buries his head in the fabric like it's his damn pillow after a long day, but if he has to go and shower anyway, it shouldn't be a problem right? He can allow himself to do this, if only for a few seconds.

If only to give his weaker side something to hold onto and prepare for how empty he's probably going to feel once his scent isn't mixed with the alpha's anymore. 

Somewhere in the back of his head he knows that this is perhaps not what he should be doing at the moment though; inhaling the smell of unwashed clothes just because Levi's scent does something to him that he instinctively wants more of. 

No, he should be in the shower at his very moment, and there should be no need to mentally prepare himself for it. It's like he's getting more and more vulnerable, and that thought inevitably leads him to question for how long this can go on before he ends up losing it. How do other omegas even survive this at all? 

And then, his own actions become even more foreign to himself and Eren cannot even stop that from happening. The dark grey shirt still close to his face, his other hand reaches for something else. At first he cannot make out what exactly it is, mistaking the article of clothing for yet another shirt. But unlike the other one, this doesn't only cause this warm, safe feeling inside of him; this is different, and greatly so. And not just concerning the intensity of the smell, but its very nature. 

Because the moment his head is rubbing into the silky fabric, Eren can literally feel something inside of him come to life unwillingly, but no less enthusiastically. His body betrays him for the millionth time today, a purring noise in his throat as his heart beats a little faster at the scent that he's met with. It's Levi's, unmistakeably, but this is something else entirely. Intense, and out of this world, maybe.

Something about this particular scent drives Eren crazy, and his mind is barely even there as he lets himself drop down on the bathroom carpet like a lifeless doll so his legs don't fail him by surprise.

He doesn't let go of the clothes though, holding them close to himself as if they can save him now. Like a dying Christian holding onto a Bible, it feels as though salvation might just be in his reach. 

It's a bit like being high, too; endorphins and nerve signals creating an unfamiliar melody of sensations in his chest and heating his body up just like running did minutes ago.

Eren never usually has to deal with too many side effects of being an omega, and these days, even during his heat he has things under control for the most part. Which is why he doesn't even understand what it happening at first when warmth collects in his lower belly, along with this strange feeling of being in need of.. something. 

Something more than just a scent, something simple and real. 

And with each breath the boy takes, the feeling only becomes more demanding, louder. In a matter of seconds he registers the sensation of warmth and wetness in his underwear, unmistakeably real although he wishes it wasn't. 

As if to prove the truth of the situation to himself, Eren pulls off his pants and lets his fingers travel down his legs and towards his underwear, a gasp leaving his lips as he brushes along the wetness clumsily, only to find that his underwear is nearly soaked in slick, and his skin is sensitive to the point where that small touch is almost enough to make him moan. 

How long has he been sitting here and inhaling this scent like a relapsing addict? There's no way for him to tell, not when time and space seem so meaningless right now, and his mind is elsewhere entirely. 

But he doesn't want this reaction, doesn't know where this came from or what he's supposed to do about it. It feels greatly unfamiliar to have this happening when he isn't in the most intense part of his heat and therefore a mess of heat hormones. For a brief moment his head supplies that he could, in theory, ask Levi what's going on with him all of a sudden, although that might not be the wisest of ideas. He could ask him for help or at least warn him that this might be a sign of his heat coming earlier or just being his hormones being a mess in general...

But that would also be deadly embarrassing, so it's out of question.

 

Just as embarrassing at it is when Eren finally realises what it is he's been holding in his hands all along after staring at the clothing and analysing it.

Not a shirt; this is most definitely underwear and worse than that, underwear that Levi has worn and that realisation strikes Eren like lightning. His head instantly supplies the omega with the lyrics of 'Creep' and Eren almost lets out a stressed chuckle at the irony of that. Although the absurdity of the situation is hard to swallow, it doesn't change the fact that his body sure as hell has a very particular reaction to the man's worn underwear.

But it's not as if there's the option of doing anything about it now. He won't sit here on Levi's bathroom floor and touch himself, definitely not. In fact, that would only make this worse, probably. The only logical thing to do would be to put the clothes back in the laundry bin and never speak a word about this to anyone. Ever. 

But he fails at even the first step of his, because apparently, his hand now has a mind of its own and is unwilling to do what he wants it to.

Or is he even sure he wants to? 

Perhaps he's not as sure as he'd like to be, but it's not like the omega can steal the raven's dirty clothes; he wouldn't want to explain that to the man. And quite honestly, it scares him shitless that thoughts like that are even on his mind, because this definitely isn't something that has happened to him before, and Eren never thought he'd be having this particular mental debate. 

He just stares at the fabric in his hands, with a somewhat accusing gaze and exceptionally aware of the fact that he's still wet down there and that he definitely is trying kind of hard to keep inappropriate thoughts of the alpha out of his head. 

Of course; exposing himself to pheromones like this, it's not the biggest surprise that Levi is on his mind. It's just natural, another proof of his dynamic. Omegas tend to be very easily affected by scents, and he's smelled so much of Levi, it's natural that his mind would be flooded with thoughts of the alpha. Which it sort of is, and that means that Eren should probably do something to stop this process from progressing any further. But it's a bit like being paralysed and unable to change anything about it, and then again, maybe that's because he doesn't really want to. 

Because a part of him likes it, apparently.

But maybe it's not half as serious as Eren is afraid it could be, this whole thing. 

He cannot say it for sure, although he wishes that he knew. What to do, or what to say to the alpha. What it even is that he wants... which makes him wonder if getting away from here is even his main focus anymore. 

And that thought actually brings on enough of a shock to make the omega snap out of it and dump both articles of clothing on top of the other dirty laundry. A whine leaves his mouth at the loss, but his rational thoughts are for once loud enough to tell him to actually move his ass and get into the shower now. 

The warm and wet feeling down there might be another reason he wants to clean himself up as fast as possible. 

So, deciding that whatever just happened in the bathroom will stay here and not be talked about, he pulls his shirt over his head and steps out of his underwear. He's in the shower in seconds, afraid of changing his mind again and turning on the cold water momentarily in order to really wake up from his confusing thoughts, but it doesn't help too much. 

Something inside of him isn't happy with the loss of the alpha's scent at all, and even the shower cannot really distract him from this strange desire inside of him at all. 

-

Curses fill the room as Levi tries his best to navigate his way out of the puddle of water and glass without cutting his feet open or causing even more of a mess. Internally, he's thankful for this small accident though, since it allows him a bit of time to come up with an answer to Hanji's question. That woman is still looking at him as if he's the funniest thing she's ever seen, standing there and taking off his socks one after another with a disgusted expression. 

"Why is it that you literally manage to make a mess out of every damn room you enter?" he asks her with an accusing gaze on his face, smelling not only angry but also stressed out to the point where he's pretty sure he cannot hide it from Hanji. 

Her gaze alone tells him all he needs to know. She's got that damn smirk on her face that's there every single time she manages to get information out of him that he's unwilling to give. One could argue that it must mean that she actually cares about what's going on in his life, but it's also damn annoying, especially when he doesn't yet know what to make of the whole situation and how much information to give away. 

"That's a talent of mine," she says, sounding deadly serious and therefore, ridiculous. 

Levi rolls his eyes at her behavior and takes his time cleaning up the floor before he decides that he literally cannot evade her question for any longer without making it weird and obvious that he's stalling. 

He should probably tell Hanji the truth since she's one of the few people he sort of trusts in a twisted sense, but when he opens his mouth to start explaining things, no words come out. It's as if he has no way of explaining what happened, or admitting to his mistake. 

Mistake; the word feels so wrong to use. He finds it hard to pretend that it was a mistake to do this because he still clearly remembers Eren's reaction, the noises leaving his mouth and the way his breathing had changed. 

But he can't think of that now, cannot allow himself to. He needs to keep his head as clear as possible so he doesn't start talking nonsense and making the doctor suspicious. 

So instead, he tries to make his voice sound certain and to really feel like he's convinced of what he's saying, to make sure she cannot use his scent to figure it out either.

"The damn brat is like an eighty year old woman when it comes to sports. We run for five minutes and he already sounds like he's about to spit out his lungs, but doesn't want to stop until he's about to faint and throw up. I carried him back here on my back, and I have yet to shower thanks to an unannounced visitor," he says and gives her a look that's about as indifferent as it gets, with clear hints of annoyance.

"And here I thought there was romance in the air, what a shame. I'd like to see you walking around with a stupid 'I'm so in love' grin once in your life, and you know you're not getting any younger," Hanji says and makes a dramatic gesture with her hands, as if she's trying to replay the way her heart is being ripped apart. Of course, she's dramatic like that and borderline insane too. 

"I'm not old," he defends himself, although he feels a bit old today, after the few hours of sleep and all the internal monologues going on, "and if that's what you're hoping for you can wait for a lifetime. You know I'm not interested in.." 

"-Yeah yeah, you're not interested in any romantic relationships, I know. Also, I'm still mad you left Petra hanging when I tried to organise a date for you two," she says, her glasses reflecting the sunlight as she tilts her head back a bit. "But what about Eren, is he alright? Where is he even?" 

"The kid is taking a shower. He's fine, just a bit embarrassed because he isn't as good of a runner as me, I guess," Levi tells her, trying to sound normal because apparently that isn't so easy when he's talking about Eren. Lying about what happened with Eren, to be more precise. 

"Well, you're an alpha and an adult. He's still growing and probably doesn't have a routine like you do, so it's understandable he cannot run as far. At least he tries to participate. Don't be too hard on him, alright?" the woman says and Levi finds himself agreeing with her, although he's slightly pissed at the implication that he isn't careful enough with the boy. For his own standards, he definitely is. And it's not as if Eren is that bad, it's just that Levi can really demand a lot of himself and others sometimes..

Sometimes to the point where it's a bit unrealistic, and he's aware of that; but he doesn't want to be that way with the omega somehow. Although it's an approach that he usually takes with the kids who come here, it's different with Eren. 

Isn't everything though? 

"Since when do I need you to tell me how to do my job?" he asks with a sigh, no real aggression behind the words at all. At the moment, there isn't much anger left in him anyways. It's more of an exhaustion that would demand a few days of sleep that he knows he cannot afford. 

He doesn't even want to think about whether lying just now was or wasn't justifiable in some way. 

"Well, you're not really on the social side so I'd argue that you could use a few tips here and there, especially with someone as sensitive as Eren," she says, and Levi cannot help it. He glares at her, deadly and full of anger for a moment before he catches himself. By that time, it's clear that he smells angry as well.

Because he doesn't like the fact that she's acting as if she knows what's best for the boy better than him. It's not her place to imply that he cannot handle the omega. She doesn't know Eren like he does, and although it isn't long yet, he already feels like he knows him quite well somehow. He knows that Eren wouldn't necessarily like being called 'sensitive,' and maybe that fact plays a role in it, too. 

"You know what I honestly have no time for your bullshit right now. Eren has dropped out of school a while ago and I'm going to force the damn brat to do some Maths, English, Biology and French. He needs to finish his school." 

Hanji just stares at him, clearly aware that she hit a nerve, and apparently a bit speechless because usually, Levi refuses to play teacher and actually do schoolwork with the kids he's taking care of. In fact, most of the time he lets Hanji do that, claiming that her interest in science and pretty much anything else would motivate the kids much more than his 'I'm already tired of your stupidity, give me a break' approach. 

Before she can question him, the alpha already explains himself. "I still need to make him trust me since I have the feeling that something may very well have happened, although I don't have much of a clue what it was yet. In any case, I need to get to know him better before I can address it or else he's just going to close off and not say anything."

She nods at him, apparently registering that this is in fact a serious topic and that there is a real possibility that something bad happened to the boy. Something that would make him reject a large part of his nature just for the sake of being safe. 

"You're right, and if it's true that something happened, even just opening up about it would make things so much easier for him. I get the feeling you're good for him. Just don't rush it or make him talk when he isn't ready yet." 

"I wouldn't do that," he says, sounding sure about it because he is. He'll try his best from here on to be gentle with him, and there has to be a way to avoid incidents like the one that happened today. Because Levi doesn't want anything of that sort to actually make the boy afraid of him. In this case, he doesn't need to be feared, he needs to be someone the boy feels he can rely on.

And that is turning out to be much more troublesome than he'd originally expected. 

"I know you wouldn't, I just wanted to make sure," she says, and goes back to her usual stupid grin in seconds. "Well then, you go and take your shower, you deserve it! I'm dropping by tomorrow most likely, see you then!" 

She slaps his ass as she makes her way out, and Levi honestly has to resist the urge the smack the back of her head in return. That woman has no sense of personal boundaries at all. 

But with her out of the door, he can finally breathe peacefully after the interrogation. He isn't entirely sure why he ended up lying in the end, or what to do about it now. 

Although a shower does sound like the best option for now, and with that thought in mind he heads for the bathroom, knocking once before opening the door. Eren is already out of the room though, and thank God he hasn't made too much of a mess out of the bathroom.

Levi tries to shower quickly, but as always when there's something on his mind, the shower takes at least half an hour, and it would be a lie to say that it doesn't feel weird- washing that Christmas smell off his skin as though it means nothing. Not that it does, but... at least his inner alpha seems to think otherwise.

He can ignore those thoughts though, and that sounds like the best option anyway. 

So, consciously avoiding thoughts of that sort, he goes about showering, cleaning himself more than perfectly and once the alpha steps out of the shower, he stares his own reflection dead in the mirror. There are dark shadows underneath his eyes again, and he needs to cut his hair soon since the black locks are already a bit longer than he usually wears them. 

With a towel wrapped around his lower body, he eventually makes his way into his bedroom, picking out a fresh grey shirt and black jeans. Before he actually puts on his clothes though, there's a noise behind him that he might as well be imagining. Except, he really isn't imagining it. 

A rustling of sheets, and a sleepy noise are to be heard from the direction of his bed, and Levi isn't entirely sure he believes this, which is why he has to see for himself. 

And sure enough, there's Eren. In his bed, Levi's blanket threatening to suffocate the boy. Most of the omega's body is covered, and it's mainly just his head that's visible. The boy is apparently still asleep and his face looks relaxed in that way that Levi has only ever seen when Eren wasn't awake. His lips are slightly opened, the blanket rising and falling softly along with his chest. 

Levi doesn't know why the boy is in there or how in the world he thought it was a good idea to pick Levi's bed for his nap, and pretty much the only thing the alpha is sure of at this point is that he should be pissed. Had any other kid, omega or alpha, ever done this, he'd have freaked out and thrown them out of bed instantly to get the sheets washed. 

But, Eren looks so comfortable there with his hair still a bit wet and his lips half open.

There's nothing the alpha can do about his sudden urge to look at him more closely, and before he knows it the raven is standing by the side of his own bed, keeping a little bit of distance just so he doesn't feel quite as creepy although he has every right to move freely in his own room... Doesn't he? 

So he just stands there, unsure how long he is able to entertain himself by just staring at the brunette. He just doesn't seem to tire of it though, and it must have been at least ten minutes of studying the sleeping boy's face when Eren's expression changes suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed and soft wrinkles appearing on his forehead as though he's concentrating very hard on something. 

It looks almost comical, up until the point where a breathy sound leaves his lips, and then another. 

"Ah- nnh," he half mumbles, half moans in a sleepy voice, and it honestly makes Levi wonder what he's dreaming about, although this should probably be the point where he either leaves the room or wakes Eren up. 

"Nngh, Alpha," Eren moans again, and the blood pressure in Levi's body seems to either cave in or just explode; he cannot tell because he's currently too busy processing this. 

That word of all sounds so beautiful on Eren's lips, and coupled with the soft moans, Levi is suddenly very aware of the fact that he's hard, just seconds after hearing it. Hard as in rock hard, as in it's getting harder to just stand here and do nothing. But at the same time he feels rooted on the spot where he's standing, afraid that if he allows himself to move even a single muscle at this point, Eren will wake up to something the boy definitely doesn't want and couldn't handle. 

It's torture though, having the omega right in front of him, smelling so sweet and making Levi lose his mind with just one damn moan. Alpha- of all things the boy could dream of, it's a bit ironic he'd be plagued by a dream of that sort. 

While he's sleeping in Levi's bed, no less. 

It makes all sorts of strange thoughts invade Levi's mind and mingle together to create a total mess out of him once more. His most primal part is telling him to touch the boy, to make him feel good and to do his best to create a better nest for the boy, much more fancy than just a normal bed with a few blankets and pillows. Because Eren deserves a place where he can feel safe and be comfortable. 

But that's already one of his more pure thoughts, and now Levi's mind won't stop repeating the sound of Eren's moans. 

And the omega's lips look so perfect in the soft light of his bedroom that Levi sort of wants to know what kissing them would feel like, but like hell is he going to kiss a sleeping omega.

Instead, he leans closer towards him, and takes note of his somewhat uneven breathing. Levi wonders if it's him that the dream is about, but the thought seems a bit ridiculous, right? If Eren does indeed have dreams like that, they're surely about someone his age, he reasons. Some stupid alpha kid from the boy's school or something; and that thought is about to start a fire of fury in his chest, but the raven holds himself back, repeating in his mind that it's none of his business what's on Eren's mind. 

"Ah," the boy breathes again, and Levi's eyes couldn't move from his face even if he wanted them to. It's hypnotising, to see the brunette like this; and wrong. Too wrong for words. 

Levi can feel himself begin to shake, his effort to keep himself from touching the boy almost too much to bear. Deciding that he cannot allow himself to do this any longer, the alpha carefully reaches out for the brown locks, playing around with his hair for a moment before letting his fingers trace the line of his jaw, and running a finger along the boy's neck. He stops just before touching the collarbone, and clears his throat once he's pulled his hand away. 

"Eren," he says, sounding like he's just fought a deadly battle and barely made it out alive. 

But of course, he knows just how deep the omega's sleep is by now, and it isn't enough to get the job done and wake him up. 

"Eren," he repeats his name, trying his best to sound strict. 

This time, the omega moves a bit, turning his face in the direction of the pillow and managing to spread one of his legs across the blanket. At first Levi assumes that he's finally waking up, but Eren remains in that position, his eyes remaining closed. 

That's when Levi reaches out, shaking the boy's upper body with a gentleness he doesn't usually process. 

"Wake up," he speaks, almost right into his ear, and that works a bit too well almost, ocean green eyes flying open in surprise and Levi can actually watch the omega's initial confusion turning into fiery red cheeks and a shocked expression. 

And it's only then that Levi realises he should have at least put on his clothes before waking the omega on his bed up. Because Eren's gaze travels to his bare chest in seconds, and remains there for a bit too long before the omega snaps out of it and looks like he wants to disappear into the nothingness more than anything. 

When Eren seems unable to say anything, Levi cannot help but ask, "Why exactly are you sleeping in my bed?"

"I uh, I don't know?" is the answer he gets, and the alpha fixes him with a questioning stare. 

"You don't know?" he repeats. 

"I just, uh. I must have mistaken this for my bed or something," Eren explains, his eyes drifting between Levi and his hands that lay unmoving on the blanket. When Levi only gives him a look that says something along the lines of 'You've got to be shitting me,' the boy's face turns even more of a crimson color.

"Either way, you need to get yourself dressed properly and then we've got things to do, alright?" Levi tells him, and it's quite comical to see the omega almost fall out of the bed thanks to his fast and disoriented movements as he hurries to climb out of the bed. Levi isn't entirely sure how Eren would react if he told him about the things he said, or moaned during his sleep, but he'd most likely die from embarrassment so Levi decides not to address that at all for now. 

It's not like he can say much of anything anyway when Eren is standing up, dressed in only his underwear and his skin looks so smooth and soft that Levi can almost feel the texture of it just by looking. 

Eren is thin, and at some parts his rips stick out a bit, but it isn't exactly the kind of thin where Levi needs to worry too much yet. Still, he reminds himself to pay more attention to how much the boy eats, and if it isn't enough, he'll openly tell him so. Other than that slight concern, there's absolutely nothing about the boy that doesn't leave Levi a bit speechless. 

The tone of his skin, the shape of his body and the flushed look on the heart shaped face all create a beautiful image of a person; he looks so nice that Levi sort of feels like a criminal just for looking at the boy at all. 

Which also kind of reminds him of the fact that he's still hard, and the alpha adjust his towel casually, trying to make sure Eren doesn't know about what's going on down there or what he's thinking. 

 

Although the atmosphere feels quite heavy all of a sudden, whether it's the fact that they're both almost naked or just another instance of pheromones doing crazy things... 

With their eyes locked, they just stand there, neither quite willing to say a word until Eren is the first one to break the silence. 

"I'm sorry, for sleeping in your bed I mean. I didn't do it on purpose, I just- you probably think I'm crazy now and I don't even blame you for thinking that anymore." 

"Kid, I don't think that you're crazy, okay? So don't say that. I was a bit surprised, but it's not like I mind having you in my bed," he says, only realising a moment later the implication he just made, and judging by Eren's face, it didn't escape the omega either. His face looks like it's burning, eyes wide and an expression that almost resembles terror on his face. 

Levi wants to hit himself for saying that.

"I'm just going togoandgetdressed," the brunette exclaims, his words mixing together thanks to his fast way of speaking and his hurried way out of the room. It looks almost like he's running from a predator, and in that moment Levi kind of feels that way, too. He didn't mean to terrify Eren; he wanted to calm him down actually, but so much for that. 

With Eren out of the room and his erection slowly but surely fading away, Levi cannot do much but put on his clothes finally, and head to the living room to prepare for their lessons. He doesn't even want to think about the fact that his entire bed probably smells like the omega now, or why he doesn't proceed to wash the sheets as fast as possible. 

-

In his room, Eren drops down on the bed and yells half-heartedly into his pillow, the embarrassment still so fresh in his mind that he cannot even handle it. 

Of course it's not enough to just simply wake up in the alpha's bed feeling warm and basically ready to jump said alpha. No, of course he misinterprets Levi's acceptance of his apology and Eren could swear that he literally felt his insides tingle when the man said that he doesn't mind having him in his bed. 

A large part of the omega literally overflowed with excitement at that, and if it weren't for the rational thoughts left in him, Eren might have just gone ahead and asked the man to let him sleep there every night then; despite the fact that Eren isn't sure what happened before he fell asleep or why it was there of all places, he cannot deny that he slept deeply and woke up feeling like he was on clouds. 

Like waking up after a nice dream, although he cannot really remember dreaming at all. 

It's always this strange mixture with the alpha; there are those warm and giddy feelings, and then there is the other side of him that's just terrified of what it all means. And although he doesn't want to be that way, it's kind of hard not to worry when all of this is still so new to him. 

What he does know for sure is that his body seems to enjoy messing with him today especially, because despite his earlier shower there's still this feeling of wetness in his underwear. But he decides to ignore it, hoping that the problem will resolve itself as soon as possible. 

He really just hopes that Levi doesn't notice anything off about his behavior, although it might be a bit too late since he literally just found Eren cuddled up in his bed. And it probably doesn't take a genius to figure out that he may very well have unconsciously decided to seek more of Levi's smell after cleaning himself up earlier. 

When he hears the man make his way out of his bedroom into the living room area, Eren hurries to find something to wear, grabbing some of the clothes he was handed and throwing them on. Before he leaves the room, he attempts to get his hair in a somewhat orderly style, but it's as hard as always, especially after falling asleep with it wet. 

So, telling himself that there's no need to be afraid of facing the man, Eren leaves his room and enters the living room to find that Levi has made them something to eat. A simple salad with some bread is standing on the table, and the noise his stomach makes is confirmation enough that Eren truly is hungry. 

"Sit down and eat something," Levi tells him, and Eren sends a tiny smile his way before sitting down on the opposite side of the desk. He feels his spirits being raised by the bottle of coke standing on the table that he greedily pours himself a glass of. Being here, he sort of feels like he's in rehab for his sugar addiction, and although it really isn't healthy, he enjoys he taste with a pleased expression on his face. 

Until he notices that Levi's staring at him, that is. 

"What?" the omega asks, his brows raised, and a shiver travels down his spine when Levi chuckles upon hearing his question. 

"Nothing, it's just that you really are like a child sometimes," he tells the boy, and Eren is still too focused on the upturn of Levi's lips to really process the information. 

"I'm not a child though, I'm an adult just like you," he finds it necessary to make this much clear for some reason, and takes the first bite of his food so he cannot say any more weird things. 

"Never said you were one, it was just an observation," the raven says to him, and Eren needs to make sure he doesn't openly stare at the man like this for any longer, because he still feels like he observed something not meant for human eyes.

"Well then I'm making the observation that you're not as much of an ass as I thought when I first got here. Although you always try to seem scary, you have a nice smile," he says, sounding much braver than he actually feels. In fact, Eren isn't so sure where this strong urge to vocalise that thought came from, but it's out before he can stop it. 

And damn, is the look on the raven's face worth it. Eren never thought he'd see the day where it isn't him that's embarrassed but the alpha, and yet here it is. A hint of red on Levi's cheeks, making him look a bit like he does during sports, only for different reasons. The man even breaks their eye contact to stare at something else, and that's when Eren promises himself to compliment the man more often. 

Because although he looks a bit embarrassed, the alpha's scent is a clear giveaway that he doesn't dislike Eren's words, which in turn makes Eren a bit happier than it probably should. 

"It's not like I never smile," the man defends himself, and now it's Eren's turn to wear a smile of his own. 

"Well, you could do it more often," he says, and a realisation strikes him in that moment. Even if it weren't for the fact that he's forced to be here, Eren actually wouldn't mind sitting here and talking to Levi. Or eating with him; it's not at all bad to spend time with him. Briefly, the boy wonders where exactly those sentimental thoughts are coming from now of all times, but apparently they don't intend on leaving soon. 

"Well, if you say so," the alpha tells him with yet another soft expression on his face and it makes Eren wonder whether he has high blood pressure or something, because his heart beats so enthusiastically that it might be considered worrisome. 

"I actually do," he tells him with a nod, remembering to eat a bit because he's still starving, "So, why was Hanji here earlier?" 

"No specific reason, she just likes to break into people's places. My place, more specifically. She asked me why I smelled like you." 

At this, Eren cannot help but suffer a coughing fit, quickly drinking some more sugar water to regain his breath. With his eyes a bit teary and his voice careful, he asks, "So, what did you tell her?" 

With both their plates now empty, they walk over to the kitchen counter, Eren awaiting the alpha's response with quite a bit of anxiety in his chest.

"I didn't tell her anything, I said that I had to carry you back here and that's the reason. She'd be a real pain in the ass if she found out, because that woman has no sense of privacy. She'd have asked you the kind of questions no one should be asked, so be happy that I saved your ass from that." 

And God, is Eren happy about that. Although Levi knows about his behavior and that's already bad enough, the last thing Eren would have wanted was for Levi to talk about their almost (if one could even call it that) scent marking with another omega. Both because he's afraid they'd think of him as ridiculous, and because he sort of likes the thought of sharing a secret or two with the alpha alone very much. 

Unable to help himself, he hugs Levi from the side, squeezing his arms around him like he's trying to prove his strength to the man, and telling him, "thanks so much, I would have literally died from embarrassment." 

Levi seems to stunned to move for a moment, his head turning in the boy's direction and their heads not far apart at all. In that moment, Eren's inner omega is preoccupied yelling at him that they fit together so perfectly, but he tries his best not to turn this weird. Although it isn't very typical for him to be physical like this in the first place, but this is Levi. 

That one person that makes Eren aware of sides of himself that he never even knew of. 

He hugs him a bit tighter, and the rhythm of their breathing matches as they stand there in silence for about a minute, neither pushing the other away. 

"You don't need to thank me, it's fine," Levi tells him, and he sounds honest, his head a bit underneath Eren's and his eyes closed, behind dark lashes. And Eren has to make quite the effort to keep himself from purring, a feeling of calm settling over him unlike anything he's ever really experienced as he stands there, his mind not really screaming anything at him for once.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep thanking you but I still can't believe how many people seem to like this story, and I appreciate each of you guys so much.. thank you for being patient and for all your comments and everything, I read them whenever I feel like my writing is shit and it helps so so much.  
> So once again, thank you!  
> Here's another chapter, and things are heating up a bit soo.. Enjoy, hopefully. (:

"So can you tell me what a cell is made up of now?" Levi asks, a bit of feigned annoyance coloring his voice because he's been going over the very same things with the boy for about an hour, and the brunette seems too distracted to even remember a word of it. They haven't even started on math yet; biology is enough of a struggle already. 

Levi has drawn a sketch of a cell and named all of its parts three times already, but the omega cannot seem to recall the information a second after it's out of his sight, and the most frustrating thing about this is that Levi knows Eren isn't stupid. But he damn sure isn't good at staying concentrated when it comes to anything school-related. If Levi had counted the amount of times the boy randomly started some other conversation in an attempt to escape the lesson, 10 fingers wouldn't have been enough. 

At some point, the omega noticed that it's of no use though, and that he cannot escape this lesson. So he actually tries to answer. 

"Uh, the cell membrane, cytoplasm and the cell.. uh," the omega tries, apparently thinking so hard that he cannot help the painful expression on his face, which would be comical if it wasn't for the fact that Levi had estimated that the exercise would take them about 15 minutes maximum. 

"The cell wall. And cellular organelles. It's not that complicated, why are you so distracted?" he asks, silver eyes tied to green. Eren is sitting next to Levi on the couch, his feet almost touching the alpha's legs, and it honestly feels a bit strange to share such a small space with Eren, even if they aren't even really touching. They're facing each other though, and Levi cannot help but notice how golden Eren's usually green eyes look in the afternoon light. 

Or how much he wants to pin him to the couch and hear and watch the omega enjoy it. But he tries not to go down that road, letting an expressionless expression take control of his face. 

"I'm not distracted!" the brunette declares a bit too loudly, the tips of his ears turning red as is usual when he's lying and there's a bit too much distress in his scent too for the statement to be true. 

"Then repeat the parts of a cell once more and prove it," Levi tells him, a challenging gaze on his face. But this time, challenging the boy doesn't really seem to work. 

"I don't know. Can we please take a break? You never even told me I'd be forced to take lessons here," he says with a pouting expression, apparently caught somewhere between embarrassment and frustration. 

"This is just basic knowledge, it's not like I'm torturing you with complicated equations or anything. It's just biology. If your mind wasn't somewhere else all the time you'd know it all by heart in two minutes." 

"I just kind of have a lot on my mind, is that a crime?" the boy asks suddenly, his eyes refusing to make contact with Levi's and his tone on the quiet side. He smells a bit sad, but as if he's trying hard not to let it show; and that in itself doesn't sit well with the alpha.

"What do you have on your mind?" he asks without missing a beat, because he doesn't like the worried tone or the thought that Eren actually feels stressed and hides it that well. He literally thought Eren was just daydreaming, so apparently the boy is either getting better at regulating his scent or Levi is just becoming more and more distracted and less observant thanks to that. 

His thoughts certainly seem to have a mind of their own today.

But he knows for sure that he wants Eren to feel at ease here so they can actually make progress... although the raven cannot deny that this becoming more and more of a personal issue to him much rather than just being part of his job. If he ever really considered Eren that at all, that is.

Currently, he cannot seem to remember the point in time when he thought of the boy as a task or a job. No, it's a bit more than that, and seeing him sad is like torture to his basic imstincts. At least it's a good sign that Eren admitted that there's some sort of issue though, because that means they can work on resolving it and maybe then the insistent feeling of wanting the omega to feel better will stop being so overwhelming.

 

"It's just.. I know that I'll have to go back to my parents at some point and they have a few potential alphas that they've picked out for me already. I can't stand a single one of them, and yet I know that they don't even care enough to accept the fact that I want a choice in this. They're just scared they've raised a useless omega that's never going to be enough for anyone. It doesn't even matter if I know anything about a cell or not because I'm only going to end up tied to a house without freedom or anything desirable in life anyway. Also, I have a headache and all of my muscles hurt because apparently I'm not even good at sports.. and definitely not at biology. You're wasting your time trying to teach me this, and I'm too stupid to remember even such simple facts."

The silent outburst is so unexpected that the alpha isn't sure how to react at first. Like a wall has broken down, the sadness is much more obvious in Eren's smell now. It's in his eyes too, although the boy is avoiding eye contact again. Eren hasn't started crying, but somehow he looks even sadder like this, his face strangely calm and empty. Levi doesn't like to hear him talk that way about himself at all.

"It's so fucked up, this system I mean. I can't really claim I know what it's like for you but I know that it isn't fair. You should be able to decide for yourself, but sadly it's not like people actually listen to anyone who stands up against the majority and speaks the truth about it all. They react with hatred, and with fear. Because alphas don't want to give up their power, and they feel like that's what it would mean to give an omega the freedom of independence. Before that changes, your best option is basically to go for the least awful alpha and hope that things don't turn out too bad, which fucking sucks," as he says it like that, the raven becomes very aware of the harsh bitterness of the truth. He despises to think that this is how things will go for Eren, although realistically they most likely will. 

He's seen it before after all.

"Or maybe I can talk to them," Levi offers a second later, almost surprising himself with the offer. But he had to say something, because he feels like his earlier words would have only made Eren feel more depressed about his situation. He isn't the best person with words, really, but even he knows that there wasn't a lot of positivity in this statement. 

And while things aren't looking too bright, there's still a chance of finding some sort of solution, he's sure.

Eren is eyeing him like a fox now, his eyes scanning Levi as if to make sure he remembers every word the alpha is saying and each expression that comes with it, too. It's as if he's figuring out whether to trust the man or not. The atmosphere between them seems a bit strange after those words have left the raven's mouth, and for a second he's shocked about the fact that he literally just offered to do that. 

He has never once talked to a kid's parents in an attempt to change their mind about the partners they've chosen for their child. In fact, his job is basically to prepare omegas for their alphas, no matter who the alpha is or what he's like. That's not a part of his job at all because he needs to establish certain boundaries for his job and no thanks, the alpha doesn't need all the drama that parents cause on top of their kid's.

For this particular omega though, he's sure he can handle a bit of drama just fine.

"You would do that?" Eren asks, a certain light in his eyes that Levi missed before, and in that moment it becomes clear that he cannot take it back now. Doesn't want to, either. No matter what Eren asks of him, he's going to say yes, he realises.

"Of course, I can't promise anything but I can attempt to change their mind. If that's what you want," he says, trying his best to not let the anger he feels show. Anger; because he's already frustrated beyond belief because he cannot say for sure whether the boy's parents will actually change their mind, he just really hopes that they will. Seeing the reality of the thoughts the omega is struggling with isn't only troubling, but much more than that. It infuriates him that the people who are supposed to take care of the boy don't seem to really have his best interest in mind, because Eren sure as hell deserves happiness. And if Levi needs to fight his parents for that, then he fucking will.

"Well, if anyone has a chance to convince them, it's you. They're probably surprised I haven't been kicked out of here or ran away yet, and I'm sure they trust your opinion much more than mine," the boy says, and Levi cannot help but let his gaze travel over him, halting for a short moment at the sight of his neck before snapping out of it.

Luckily, Eren isn't looking in that moment though. 

And damn, the way his scent changes upon realising that Levi will help him is almost addictive. For once, it doesn't feel to the alpha like he's messing this up; he can tell for sure that Eren puts quite a bit of hope in him, and he definitely doesn't want to disappoint the boy. 

There's a sweetness in Eren's scent again that makes him even more irresistible than the boy is usually.

"Then I'll talk to them. I'll just need to make sure I'm not too wordy about how much their behavior pisses me off in various ways," he says, and as Eren's earlier words still echo in his brain, he gets an idea. "Turn around and sit down in front of me," the alpha commands softly, pleased to see Eren doing as he says after sending him a curious glance. 

The quickening of his heartbeat doesn't feel like a bad thing, but the alpha needs to remind himself again not to overstep the boundaries. They're not clean lines though, more like a washed up sort of mess, and maybe this is too much. Or then again, maybe it doesn't have to be.

Levi cracks his knuckles quietly, suddenly very unsure whether this is a good idea. He want Eren to feel better and stop torturing himself with such thoughts though, and that reasoning in mind, his hands reach out for the omega's shoulders as soon as he's sitting close enough. The boy seems a bit shy about coming too close, so they sit there with a bit of space between them. 

Once his hands make contact with the fabric of Eren's shirt, he seems to tense up a bit, his voice uncertain as he asks,"what are you doing?" 

Levi sure as hell would like to know. 

"You said that your muscles are sore. I've actually learned a bit about different massage styles from Hanji. She took some kind of course once, which meant that she went on for weeks about different techniques and whatever. In the end, I'm pretty sure I could have passed and received that certificate as well if I had wanted to because she actually forced me to practice with her. So if you don't mind, I can try to help," Levi says and is kind of surprised at how much he seems to be saying today. Although that may very well just be his fear of making Eren uncomfortable by touching him; so far the omega hasn't shown signs of that but Levi isn't yet sure about what may or may not have happened to him, and he's sort of afraid of Eren's answer. 

Of course he'll accept it if the omega says no, he just really hopes that he won't. In fact, part of him would probably feel crushed if he said no.

"Wow, uh. Yeah. That sounds pretty good actually," comes the answer and since Eren is sitting on the couch in front of him facing away, he cannot see the smile on the alpha's face thanks to his words. But he can probably smell a hint of it in the alpha's scent anyway, Levi assumes.

-

There isn't really any way Eren could have mentally prepared for this; just minutes ago he felt like tearing his hair out if he heard the word 'cell' one more time, and now his body is literally vibrating inside like it's never been any other way as he positions himself properly in front of Levi, his back just barely keeping a small distance from the alpha's body. 

He cannot really believe that Levi offered to him what he did. The fact that the man actually wants to go through the trouble of talking to his parents and trying to help him - it's unrealistic, but in the best way possible. A certain warmth travels through his veins at the idea, and proceeds to make his heart beat a little faster.

It's already beating quite fast though, and his inner omega is sort of going insane because of their proximity. 

And it only gets worse when he feels the alpha's warm hands on his back; as if the world is turning foggy around him, and nothing but that touch is in focus anymore. Even breathing feels different to him, easier and harder at the same time. 

It's as if the other just knows how to wrap a sort of warm, emotional blanket around him, metaphorically speaking. And it sure as hell isn't just the alpha's scent that's so enchanting that Eren almost moves even closer. Although that does a part of it too. The only thing stopping him from crawling closer to the man is the knowledge that he'll be pressed against his groin then and that definitely doesn't sound like a good idea.. although, well, it still kind of does. 

And the thought and mental image alone make him blush like a schoolgirl.

It becomes obvious very quickly that the alpha wasn't lying at all when he said that he has a bit of practice massaging people. It's as if he can see through Eren's body and pick out the exact spots where his body is aching most, only to make it better with some well practiced movements of his strong hands in a matter of seconds. 

In fact, it's almost too much in the sense that Eren has to make an effort not to moan whenever the alpha does that thing where he uses one of his palms to massage him while using the other to hold his body in place and keep him from dropping forward thanks to the pressure. 

He's like a mindless mess of incoherent thoughts wanting only one thing; more of the alpha's warmth, his closeness and his scent.

"Eren?" Levi asks all of a sudden, and the omega isn't really sure whether he imagined hearing it or whether he'll even be able to form an answer. 

"Yeah?" is the only breathless sounding word he gets out.

"You know you're not stupid, right? And you're not a useless omega either. You're great, and anyone would be lucky to have you. The thought that your parents make you feel like you're a failure pisses me off," the alpha says, almost casually. Like it doesn't cause a flood of thoughts and emotions inside of Eren that he currently refuses to analyse. 

The ability of speech doesn't come back to him until about 20 seconds later, because Levi really just said that and Eren has forgotten how to use air to form words. Eren's face is probably all shades of red at once, because not only is he horrible with compliments, but apparently it's even worse when said compliments come out of Levi's mouth (while he's touching him like this). Or maybe it just caught him off guard, hearing the alpha say something that positive about him so directly. Whatever it is, it causes a quiet sort of happiness to bloom in his chest.

He swallows, and tries not to get too distracted by Levi's hands while speaking. 

"You.. uh.. I.., thanks. But I mean there must be something true about what they're saying because.. well, it's sort of obvious that I'm no good at this 'being an omega' thing. I already knew that when I was younger because I never had the same interests as other omegas my age, and that only became worse with puberty. Of course there aren't many male omegas in the first place, but I definitely never wanted a part in this whole 'let's try to impress the alphas with our looks' thing, and I mean.. that's sort of weird right? Something is off about me.. I sometimes think," he admits while Levi keeps his hands moving a bit further down his spine, the alpha's movements careful when he comes closer to his ribcage. Maybe it's the sense of calmness that washes over Eren with each touch; but something makes it easy for him to give away such personal thoughts to the man, and he cannot even say for sure that he regrets opening up like that. 

In fact, it feels good to finally voice what he's been thinking for a while whenever he cannot distract himself with other thoughts or anger. It's not like the doubts are always there, it's just that they keep coming back, and maybe Levi's presence plays a role in it all, too. He has definitely been less stable in some ways ever since he met him.

"Eren, you listen to me now because I'm not the type to say such things very often. There's not a thing wrong with you. So what if you're not exactly the same as other omegas? It doesn't matter. This sounds cheesy as fuck but you don't have to be anyone but you. I never liked to go around picking useless fights with other alphas or collecting omegas like post stamps, and that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me just because I don't have the same interests that most alphas do. And I think deep down you know that you're fine as you are, so stop letting comparison with others cloud your sense of self. You look more beautiful when you're happy anyways, alright?" 

Apparently something is not alright because Eren chokes on his own breath as he hears Levi say the word beautiful (which just happens to sound very beautiful spoken in his voice) and starts coughing wildly despite his attempts to stop himself and keep quiet.

The alpha's hands stop moving then, and Eren basically feels like he's having a heart attack on top of his coughing fit when the raven leans over his shoulder from behind, Eren's entire body pressed against him as he asks in that deep voice, "are you alright? Don't die on me now, brat."

And those words shouldn't sound this hot at all, but they kind of do. 

About five seconds later, the omega has actually managed to calm his body down as much as it is possible, and his eyes are teary from coughing when they find Levi's. 

"I'm alright, I mean fine- I," Eren begins, but he's not sure he even knows what he wants to express, let alone how to express it. He has no idea how to respond to the 'beautiful' comment or anything else Levi said because it makes almost too much sense. His words feel true, so true that they touch something inside the boy, as if Levi just gave him the recipe for medicine that Eren knows he needed but didn't know how to make. 

He literally just managed to remind Eren of who he is, and that he doesn't need to be ashamed of that. And that definitely means something, because usually Eren tries and fails to do that for himself in moments when everything seems too heavy and just sinks into downward spiral until all he's thinking about is worst case scenarios and negative things about himself. 

But not this time, thanks to the alpha.

"Thank you," he says eventually, keeping up the eye contact although it definitely takes a lot of confidence in that moment somehow. But he wants the alpha to see in his face that he means it, and he truly does; that he's trying to say more than just that but doesn't really have the words to.

But one question pops up in his head that Eren cannot answer for the life of him. 

"Levi?" he asks, his voice a bit strange and nervousness obvious in it; but Levi's scent has taken on a note that seems specifically made for Eren. Like a cup of tea after a stressful day, he's quick to help him swallow the nervousness.

The alpha is still pressed against his back, and where their bodies touch there's an undeniable warmth mixed with something else. A buzzing underneath his skin, like all his nerves are on high alert and sending more signals to his brain than he's used to. Eren can't help but wonder whether Levi is feeling the same unexplainable feeling beneath his skin.

"What is it?" comes the question, and Eren definitely has no words for what he wants to ask of the man and no idea how many boundaries he's probably overstepping just by wanting this, so he does the next best thing he can think of, his hands finding the other's as he pulls them forward until they're touching in front of his stomach, Eren's hands holding Levi's in place and burying himself in the man's embrace like he's been starved of touch for years, which might actually be the case. And the alpha lets himself be pulled forward without resistance, until their bodies are so close that it's literally just clothes separating them anymore and Eren is right between Levi's legs.

The omega cannot help the sigh that falls from his lips at the proximity, letting his head drop onto the man's shoulder like it's a pillow. A pillow that smells like everything the boy needs or can possibly think of wanting in this very moment. A pillow that excites a part of him in a very animalistic way.

"Can we just stay like this for a bit?" he asks, wondering where all this softness is coming from all of a sudden, but not bothering to overanalyse it either. It just feels good, better than anything, being locked in between the man's arms with Levi's breath tickling the back of his head. 

He can feel it all; the rising and falling of the alpha's chest, the intensely comfortable smell that clings on to him, the bit of pressure he's applying with his arms that doesn't make Eren feel restricted at all. Instead, he welcomes it, even wants the man to hold him tighter and attempt to pull him even closer. He'd probably freak out in the best way possible if Levi did that and grabbed him like he meant it.

But the alpha hasn't verbally answered yet, and for a moment Eren is afraid that he asked for too much. It would make total sense if the man didn't want to be doing this, and probably Eren's brain just mixed something up because the alpha has been nothing but kind and understanding all day and it does absolutely nothing to help want to him stay away.

Maybe he enjoys their shared moments of closeness too much for it not to mean something, but it feels too right to really give a damn. 

Eventually, Eren dares to let his eyes travel towards Levi's face, and his heart stops for one moment because the intensity in the alpha's gaze is almost like a physical force much rather than anything else. 

He's looking at Eren as if he's something special, something he wants to hold in his arms, something he may or may not want to devour and it's almost too much. Almost..

Instead of waiting for Levi to verbalise an answer, his body reacts on its own accord and Eren finds himself pressing closer against the man yet again, before the most embarrassing thing happens and he can hear himself purring like a kitten that's being petted. He sort of feels like it, too, and the noise isn't silent enough to convince himself that Levi might just not hear it.

No, he can definitely hear it, and most likely feel it too with how much of his body Eren is pressing into him; the noise vibrates somewhere in Eren's chest, and he always thought he could stop purring on command- but apparently his willpower isn't nearly strong enough to just stay quiet and stop embarrassing himself. 

Although that's not exactly the worst part about this. Purring may be embarrassing, but it's nothing compared to the realisation that there's something going on in his body... something that might mean trouble, simply because it has started happening out of nowhere after years free of such experiences. There's this feeling again.. as if his underwear is getting soaked in record speed, and although Eren hasn't exactly been thinking too many impure thoughts, he cannot deny that maybe sitting between the man's legs like this could be considered pushing it. He already knows about his lack of self control when it comes to the alpha- but a part of him wants to take the risk yet again. It's as if his inner omega wants to see how far he can push to man before he has to react somehow. 

Because his own body definitely reacts to the alpha, like one magnet to another. 

And it's only a matter of time before that will make itself obvious yet again; Levi will definitely pick up on that certain note in his scent, that bit of extra sweetness mixed with desperation. Of course it shouldn't be embarrassing, it's just a normal body function after all that can very well happen when an omega comes close to an alpha and it doesn't necessarily mean said omega has made up his mind to consider the other a potential partner. It just means that his body reacts to... things. And if it comes down to it, he can always blame it on hormonal issues thanks to his age. 

That in itself is probably an acceptable excuse... or what if it isn't?

What if Eren is trying to convince himself of something here, trying to downplay things and rationalise them simply because he's afraid of facing the possibility that Levi might see sides of the omega that even Eren cannot claim he knows at all. What if the only thing that keeps him from moving away is the some sort of pity or - 

His thoughts are interrupted, when out of nowhere Levi's hands break free from Eren's hold, and just when the boy thinks that this is it; he shouldn't have allowed his body to act upon any of those impulses because now he's overstepped a line and from here on Levi will probably never be this close to him again -

The alpha's hands change their position instead of simply pulling away, and the softest kind of whine appears in his mouth before he can stop it. Those somewhat rough and yet incredibly fascinating hands are both wrapped around his wrists now, the thumbs resting on the skin where Eren knows his scent glands are located. Just like on the neck, the skin around them is a bit more sensitive and Eren may not know much about being an omega, but he definitely knows that gestures like this mean something.

At first he thinks that the alpha just randomly grabbed him somewhere, and definitely not because he means anything by it, but when the strong fingers begin to travel across his wrists in soft circles and Levi's hold on him is quite firm, almost bordering on something that resembles possessiveness, although Eren knows very well that it can't be that, he reconsiders. Although it still feels like a coincidence, something that there must be a logical explanation there for.

But a tiny part of him seems to disagree, and that part feeds on the onslaught of adrenaline that the raven's movements on the now somewhat oily bit of skin are responsible for. As if the fact alone that it feels incredibly good outweighs all of his doubts and rational thoughts. Like he wants to believe that Levi knows what he's doing to him somehow; that it means something because he wants to make Eren feel like that on purpose. But at the same time Eren wants to believe that something must be off, that he's reading too much into something that can never become a real story anyway. 

It's as if his unexplainable issue with this particular alpha remains exactly the same, and it's only the intensity of his feelings that really makes any progress here, because they just seem to keep growing like a well watered plant in the dirt.

Knowing what he wants seems to be getting harder and harder, with each day he spends with the alpha. Each breath he takes that smells like him.. delicious and mouthwatering. Each time he comes close to Levi and this - whatever this is exactly - happens. It sort of feels like he's on a road leading to a sleepless city called insanity. Or then again, maybe it leads to something insanely right. 

If the way his breathing is colored with soft, helpless sounds and accompanied by an unsteady purring in the background is anything to go by, then maybe a lot of both. 

Eren doesn't really know what he's doing when he moves his head more towards the man's upper arm, more or less consciously exposing a bit of his neck in the process in a gesture so typical for omegas that he never really used to see himself using it in this lifetime ... ever. But it's happened before, always just with Levi. He rubs his head into the man, too. Just small movements that appear almost playful and should make the alpha feel like responding in kind.

With anyone but Levi, it would be entirely humiliating to let go and follow his feeling like this. And part of it is even now, but with Levi's scent so close and his fingers on his wrists, Eren seems to handle it quite well considering his past experiences.

And well, before he knows it he's pressed against an alpha entirely, and sort of afraid that his pants might become noticeably wet sometime soon if it goes on like this; or maybe they already are. He's pretty sure he can feel some kind of hardness against his backside, but that's nothing he can be thinking about in this moment either. The last thing he should be doing is thinking about Levi's body in general, and especially those parts. 

But all those 'shouldn't be thinking' thoughts affect him even when he bans them from his mind the moment they pop up. He still finds himself moving just a tiny bit against him, in a way where it could easily be mistaken as unintentional; and Eren's mouth waters when he's suddenly pretty sure that Levi is indeed hard. 

For him, and no one else.

It's a strange thing to come to terms with, and Eren isn't even sure how successful he will ever be with that, but in that moment it's undeniable that he wants the man, and apparently the same goes for Levi.

He wants him in the exact way omegas are supposed to want alphas, and so much focus of his is already on Levi.. by this point even Eren himself can recognise the fact that while there's a whole lot of confusion involved in this whole thing, there is one thing he cannot really deny. 

He's attracted to Levi, and in more ways than just one, definitely. Not in a 'let's be friends' or 'prepare me for some other alpha' sort of way. 

And it's not just innocent feelings or some sort of need for closeness with just anyone. How could it be, when Levi is so far the only alpha he has met who really seems to make an effort to understand him and make him feel better without having some sort of motive. And coupled with that, he looks like a -

"Eren," Levi says his name like it's a word coming straight out of the Bible. His voice sounds strained, but there's not really any anger or disgust in his scent so Eren tries to consider it a positive thing. The word certainly has an impact, and he likes the sharp edge now present in the alpha's scent. How does his scent only ever get better each day, Eren wonders. 

"Yeah?" he asks quietly in return. 

"You're.. doing it again." 

"Doing what?" Eren asks with just a hint of suggestiveness and feigned obliviousness in his tone, because he wants to hear the man say it out loud; he wants to know exactly what he's doing to him. Also, 'you're doing it again' is more of a statement than it is a stop sign, isn't it? 

He hears a noise coming from behind him, one that could mean annoyance or anger or frustration or pretty much anything really.

But again no real answer comes, and just when Eren is about to pry further, his heart jumps off a cliff and lands in ice cold salt water, metaphorically. 

Levi's lips are on his neck, soft like a feather running over untouched skin. At first he thinks that it must be his imagination, but that wouldn't cause the thunderstorm in his chest. A gasp falls from pink lips, embarrassingly delayed because his mind needed a second or two to catch up and realise that Levi is kissing him right there, right next to his scent gland yet again, and if his fingers on Eren's wrist earlier caused a spark of emotion, well then this causes an entire firework. 

This time his mind doesn't feel absent at all because of the sensation, just the opposite in fact. He's completely in his body, not anywhere else with his thought or debating some sort of issue mentally. The only thing really on his mind is the alpha, and the way his scent is getting more and more promising. Although what sort of promise that is exactly, Eren can't really say.

Instead, he's all over the place, already breathing as loudly as when he does they're running together, "Nnh, Levi." 

And the man reacts to the mention of his name just perfectly, opening his mouth a little wider, his kisses more daring and in turn Eren's breaths become more uneven than before. The boy cranes his neck, allowing Levi more access to his warm skin as he eagerly takes anything he can from the alpha, and time becomes quite meaningless in those moments. 

It's just warmth, and panting, and fingers trying to find a hold somewhere but the raven holds them firmly in place, his grip on Eren's wrists tighter now, which also means that he cannot move away. Eren could swear that the alpha's scent is getting more and more intense, and he's caught up in it like a fly in a spider's web; no chance of escaping or going anywhere but closer.

But that doesn't matter because he doesn't want to run away from this; instead another moan falls from his lips, one that sounds so incredibly unlike him, and yet the alpha reacts again. He appears to like it when Eren makes noises like that, and for a moment that makes a dangerous image flash in front of Eren's eyes.

He wonders if it would be the same way with the man pounding into him, each sound from Eren spurring him on and making him go harder and deeper and- 

That fantasy coupled with the kisses on his neck are so intense that there isn't a doubt in his mind that heat or not, he could definitely take it. With how wet he feels down there, it probably wouldn't even hurt that much either. 

Those thoughts are messing with his brain and there's no denying that. It has him feeling daring, and careless. Like an adolescent allowed to go out for the first time and dead set on making this time count. Careless enough to try something he wouldn't dream of doing; hasn't ever dreamed of doing either except perhaps once or twice in the last few nights? It doesn't matter by the time his mouth opens and his hips rock softly into the man when he arches his body.

"Nnh, Alpha," the word slips out so easily, and it doesn't even leave him with a disgusting feeling in his mouth somehow. It feels natural to be like this with Levi, just a tiny bit of insecurity is there in his scent that is probably normal for someone who hasn't done this with an alpha he likes before. 

Likes? There's no time to analyse. 

There's the feeling of teeth on his neck now, biting him not quite hard enough to break the skin but surely it's strong enough to leave a bit of a bruise behind, as if he's being punished for his teasing, but in a nice way. It sets every nerve in his body on fire like he imagines a real marking might do (not that he's really thinking about ever experiencing that), and his whole body tenses up against the alpha. Levi's hold is strong enough to keep him in place though, and a second after that the tension leaves his body and tiny shivers travel across it as he lays there against him, pretty much ready to let the other go ahead and do as he pleases. By this point, Eren has lost the ability to really do much of anything else.

Both their scents are starting to turn into something indecipherable now, and one wouldn't be able to tell which one belongs where, only that they kind of belong together. 

"Look at me," the raven commands in a tone that is both menancing and attractive to a serious degree. Like a good boy, Eren does just that. It's a mistake though, because there's no word to explain the feeling that takes over him when he forces his head up and is met with that intense silver. Levi's pupils are blown wide, contrasting with the white and silver of the rest of his eye, and his focus is on Eren in a way that sort of makes the boy want to cover his eyes or look away instinctively out of shyness over his actions just now.

Levi looks like a starving man presented with a delicious meal, like someone who isn't going to hold back, because he can't. 

And while that overwhelms the omega in many ways, there's another side to it, too. He never imagined that the raven might look at him like this, like he's all he needs in this very moment, and Eren would be damned if he didn't try his best to keep him looking at him like that.

So he bites his lip, and lowers his lashes on purpose, although it's hard to tell whether the look on his face ends up being all he wants it to be. His cheeks are most likely an embarrassing shade of red, and it feels as if he cannot keep his mouth closed entirely because his lungs require so damn much oxygen thanks to his heart that beats like crazy.

"Don't stop," he tells the alpha, ready to present his neck again, only to be shut up with something so unexpected and delicious that it takes what little breath he has left in him away. 

The alpha pulls his body around as if it doesn't weight a thing, until Eren is sitting on his legs and directly facing him. That's when a rough hand finds its way into brown locks, pulling him down with an urgency that would have maybe hurt a bit if it weren't for the fact that Eren's inner omega appreciates the rough treatment in ways that have the boy questioning whether he has some seriously masochistic tendencies. 

And then, the world becomes a blur of silence and colors and movement around them; Levi's lips find Eren's and it's like a piece of a puzzle falls into place. He claws at the raven's back as if it's the only thing keeping him tied to reality or what little is left of that concept. 

The kiss isn't nearly as hesitant as the ministrations on his neck were at first, and Eren has no idea how to even kiss back properly or what to do, but after just a second or two Levi seems to notice that, and that's when his lips start to guide the brunette's. It's as if the man knows exactly how to do the right thing in the perfect moment naturally. His lips definitely are talented, and Eren's.. apparently not so much. Yet.

He tries to make up for it with a shy kind of enthusiasm though, wanting to make it clear that he's willing to learn from the alpha to the best of his abilities; anything in order to not disappoint the man who makes him feel like everything is alright, and better than that even.

And apparently his efforts are appreciated, judging by the increasing pace of their movements and the way their actions are turning into more and more of a dance of sorts. Despite his inexperience, they actually manage to slip into a rhythm very fast, and it's all thanks to the raven who tastes deliciously human and otherworldly at the same time to just the perfect degree. 

In between kisses, Eren's breathing is failing him more and more, and after just a few minutes, he's lost all knowledge of right and wrong, of left and right. Even his own name feels like a distant memory. 

He can only tell that he wouldn't mind being like this forever, but at the same time he wants to rub himself against the alpha's neck like a cat rubbing it's body against furniture. He also wants to feel more of the man's increasingly warm skin and taste him in all sorts of places, too.

When they eventually have to part for a short moment because Levi and Eren both need to take in some air, the omega doesn't really have the time to collect his thoughts or make sense of them. 

Because after barely a few seconds, with a warning only apparent in his gaze, the alpha switches their positions yet again, throwing Eren's back into the cushions before he follows to capture him with a kiss that has Eren crying out in both surprise and some sort of relief. It's as if he needed this for a long time, and now that it's a reality, he cannot say that he's disappointed in the least. Quite the opposite actually; it all feels so real and warm that both his body and mind seem to be freed of any access weight or worry. 

It's like being weightless, and very aware of his own existence and Levi's, as if all of reality is now entirely different. An awakening of sorts, perhaps. Or bliss, in the very least. 

The raven is quick to deepen the kiss, his tongue slipping past the already bruised lips with an ease that suggests he must have done this often. Although that thought upsets Eren, it slips out of his mind just a second later because the mixture of smelling, hearing and simply feeling the man proves more than enough to keep his entire being occupied and overwhelmed. 

Just as things are starting to heat up even more, their movements quick and almost rushed, the alpha pulls away and stares at Eren with a gaze that's a bit too unreadable for a situation like this. 

Eren still has his mouth open by the time the man speaks.

"Fucking hell," Levi whispers to himself with a hint of shock on his face and a sinfully deep voice, apparently trying to curse quietly, but Eren can hear it anyway, and now that he's thinking about it... Levi's scent is very intense, even more than is usual.. unnaturally so. And all of this sure as hell came as a bit of a surprise; although Eren is guilty of enjoying this surprise very much. 

But it's only now that his brain catches up and he asks himself a question that he really hopes won't turn out to be justified, although it may very well be true.

"Are you..," he begins, still breathless and needing to take a break there because he isn't sure how to even ask this question without dying of embarrassment.

Thankfully, he doesn't need to because Levi beats him to it. 

"I.. think I'm going into a rut."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uni has been a bit stressful coupled with.. life. which is why this took longer than I wanted it to. But here's the new chapter finally, and things.. escalate a bit.. in the good sense, I hope? 
> 
> the topic of what happened to Eren will be addressed later on.. I just don't want to make it seem like he's magically cured all of a sudden but it's a bit complicated and he has done quite a bit of healing by himself already. just to make sure it doesn't appear as if that problem has magically solved itself because of course it hasn't.. 
> 
> otherwise, I hope you enjoy the chapter.. oh and Eren is finally going to find out a bit about Levi's past in the next, I'll try to update soon! 
> 
> thanks again to everyone, I honestly don't know how to thank all of you for reading this and commenting and all.. I appreciate it very, very much

The urge to slam Eren back down onto the mattress and have his way with the boy is so strong that even speaking normally is a task that's almost impossible to accomplish. It seems so easy in Levi's mind; to play with the boy like he's his omega, not just an omega, and draw all kinds of sounds and reactions out of him just for the sake of watching Eren fall apart and putting him back together again. Everything about the omega is drawing Levi in; making him want to own every bit of his body, mind and soul. And each second in which he keeps himself from acting on that instinct is like an internal war that leaves him wounded and scattered. 

And that's how Levi knows he isn't doing well. Sanity is leaving him, and fast. In fact, he doesn't remember the last time he went into a rut, probably before he was 20 or so. And he sure as hell didn't have an omega as delicious and sweet as Eren underneath him then. 

And Eren, well, he's looking at him with those big ocean colored eyes that are full of wonder and surprise and.. basically every emotion known to man. And of course he's smelling like sin itself, too. So much so that it's an impossible task to try and ignore his scent in any way. Currently, it doesn't seem like there's any way of escaping his nature unless he gets a bit of physical distance between the omega and himself, and fast. 

That's why he didn't see a point in lying about it or keeping the truth from Eren; the boy is supposed to know exactly what he's getting himself into with every second in which he is laid like a meal in front of the man and choosing not to run away. At least he knows what may happen, and it's both a sweet and bitter feeling; seeing that Eren trusts Levi that much. 

"Are you," the boy begins after a heavy silence, apparently having a hard time digesting the statement, "are you sure? Is that, uh- is that a bad thing? Did I do something.. something wrong?"

He asks that like he has no idea what it means to be so close to an alpha who's fighting his every instinct in order to not to claim him like a damn animal. Levi isn't sure whether he's annoyed with that fact, or maybe just frustrated beyond belief because the omega is so close that it would take literally no effort to put a mark on his neck and taste him in places where it's definitely inappropriate- 

But this is Eren. The boy Levi wants to keep safe. Because he might have gone through some serious trauma and Levi needs to focus on that fact as soon as possible because otherwise he'll end up doing something he is going to regret for the rest of his life. He doesn't want to destroy Eren, or to hurt him in any way.

"It's my own damn fault for letting this happen and getting so close to you. But it'll be alright, don't worry. All you need to do is stay away from me until this is over," Levi forces the words out, and it's like pouring a ton of salt into the deepest wound, telling the omega to go away when they're still touching and all of him wants nothing than for this to go further. 

"But I- I wanted it, too," the omega answers with honest eyes and a panicked voice, as if this is really the right time to discuss this, "to kiss you, I mean. This was my first real kiss and I.. you're.." 

There's a hint of fear in his smell again; as if he's afraid of rejection when that's not at all what this is about. Levi's alpha in fact loves to hear that it wasn't unwanted or forced; or better yet, that he's the first person to have kissed those soft pink lips. Although if he weren't so drunk on hormones he might have asked about the meaning of the word 'real' in that context. 

But it's the look of helplessness on Eren's face that is the worst part; Levi cannot begin to comprehend why his body is betraying him like this, after Eren and him have just made such progress in terms of trusting one another. And now it's being tested again; when his brain definitely doesn't have the capacity to collect his thoughts and be of much help.

Eren honestly appears to be more terrified of the idea of being forced to leave than he is of Levi himself, and that's definitely something worth worrying about.

Because Levi's mind is currently focused only on wanting to please the boy; and perhaps Eren isn't aware of the control he has over Levi by this point, but he definitely has too much. 

"Just, go and I'll take some suppressants. It'll be fine then, and we can talk afterwards," Levi starts, getting straight to the point because he really, honestly cannot tell how many more seconds it'll take before he cracks. He's about to use his pheromones to get the boy to do as he says when he notices the wetness in Eren's eyes. 

He's making Eren cry again, as if that's all Levi ever seems to accomplish. The thought of being the reason for the boy's sadness is always painful, but it's worse now that all of his being wants to make him happy and take care of him; not to push Eren away or distance himself from him in an attempt to keep the omega safe from harm. 

"You wouldn't have even kissed me if you had been in your right mind, would you?" the brunette yells suddenly, his eyes hardening and eyebrows raising with each word. 

Levi isn't sure how to react at first, and somehow in his state he can't really find anything to say which isn't a good thing because the boy takes the silence as an answer within seconds and instead of trying to stay calm, his aggression only grows while Levi watches him with an expression one might describe as half stunned and half aggravated. Entirely overwhelmed, too, and perhaps a bit scared.

"You're a fucking liar you know? You say all those things and make me feel like you actually give a damn and then you kiss me and look like you regret doing it just a second later and basically tell me to fuck off. Is this a fucking game to you? Or some kind of fucking training tactic so you get to send me away faster?" Eren explodes, shouting the words right into Levi's face with the enthusiasm of a warrior who's about to run into a suicide mission. 

Levi still doesn't have any words, because whatever he would say would probably turn out to be a grave mistake. He's in no state to make big decisions and say or do things that he can maybe never take back. Eren is too much, too intense and too damn pushy. And Levi finds himself adoring that combination of traits against all odds.

"You know, maybe I should just leave and fucking get married to some asshole so I can finally stop running from my fate and have some alpha sink his teeth into my neck. Then I can be his property forever, sounds great right?" Eren says more quietly, but no less venomously, and that's too much. It goes to far and Levi registers briefly that maybe Eren went there intentionally just now, but it pushes his buttons nonetheless. 

He has Eren pinned beneath him in just a second; their lips collide just as fast, and Levi almost expected the brunette to bite him in the tongue, but no such thing happens. The exact opposite happens actually, and Eren's hands find their way to Levi's back, clawing at the skin there and he starts moaning into the raven's open mouth like he's hungry for much more than would be moral to give him.

It has Levi's brain flooded with chemicals, and the feeling isn't anything he's experienced in this way before, ever. To see just how encouraging Eren is does something dangerous and strange to his head, but it's nothing he can stop at this point. 

If this is what the omega wants, then Levi is just fucking happy to oblige and worry about the consequences later, because he has been doing too much of said worrying lately.

So he starts kissing Eren harder, letting things get messy but not really giving a damn about it. Supporting himself on one arm, he cannot help but let his hand travel across Eren's neck, his collar bones and shoulders that are hidden beneath such a thin layer of fabric. He's wearing too many clothes though, Levi thinks to himself, but he doesn't give into his instincts and rip his clothes off. Instead, his attention is on the boy's lips and all the other places where their skin is already touching. The alpha dominates the brunette like he knows exactly what he's doing; and somehow, it feels that way too. Like his body and Eren's fit strangely well together, all close and warm.

When Eren obviously has a hard time keeping up with Levi's pace however, the raven allows him a chance to breathe, heading straight for his neck and rubbing his scent all over the omega urgently while Eren's breathing is still loud and fast and he's slow to recover, the scent of apples and cinnamon heavy all around them, and Levi's is like fog beneath it. 

It's the kind of scent that creates a bigger mess inside both of their heads with each intake of breath; and it shows in the way Eren's own smell seems more and more alluring, made up of sweetness and spiced with urgency.

"Alpha," Eren whimpers, again. Like earlier, but maybe with a hint more desperation.

It's one of the hottest things to hear somehow, and Levi cannot help but want Eren to get more vocal than this even. He wants the omega to scream, he definitely doesn't want him holding back in any sense. Eren is supposed to get exactly what he needs, and he apparently trusts Levi with giving him just that, which only fuels the raven's ego, strengthening the effects of his rut significantly. 

The omega's breath hitches when he understands what Levi is about to do, but the moan that falls out of his lips still makes him appear caught off guard nonetheless when the raven pushes the omega's shirt aside in order to expose more skin of his neck.

Eren looks beautiful with his pupils blown wide and his flushed face and soft skin wherever Levi is looking. Chocolate locks fall in all directions from his head, and he has that desperate expression on his face whenever he's moaning that Levi cannot get enough of. 

He still needs to hear him curse or moan some more though, so the raven sacrifices the view for the sake of a taste of the heated skin of Eren's neck. Eren tastes so sweet and right that Levi cannot help but plant many kisses on his skin that turn into more or less rough bites quickly, which then turn into kissing again. Because he can't decide on which of both he would rather be doing.

There's magic in the way the boy sucks in a breath when Levi kisses his neck, but the desperate versions of 'ahh, Levi,' or 'alpha' he gets for sinking his teeth into the skin surrounding the boy's scent gland are addictive as fuck.

Each and every reaction is, really. 

Eren is too attractive for his own good, and Levi is greedy enough to never want to share him with anyone in the world. The alpha inside of him is dead set on making the boy remember who he belongs to for as long as he lives. 

He can keep himself from marking him (for now), although it takes an incredible amount of effort and he wants nothing more than to hear how Eren might moan then; when Levi makes him his without question or hesitation. When he claims him as a mate.

That thought causes him to bite down particularly hard, and the omega tenses up beneath him with a loud whine on his lips, but tries simultaneously to pull the alpha closer, and it's not the first time Levi wonders about Eren's possible masochistic tendencies. 

That's nothing he wants to focus on now though, because he has a few things to say to Eren; he doesn't want the omega to believe in any of the things he just accused Levi of minutes ago, and he needs to clear things up before they can get really into this.

"Eren. No one who values their life will sink their teeth into your neck, okay? And you know that this is no game to me. If you want to do this, I don't want anyone else to touch you or even think they have a chance with you, understand? And I have been wanting to kiss you for a while, so you don't get to decide that I didn't, brat," he whispers into the boy's ear in a low voice, and Eren is apparently very hopeless because he only nods his flushed face, unable to even look the alpha in the eyes. Levi is very aware of the fact that this is his irrational and possessive side talking here, but he doesn't have it in him to stop the words from coming out either way. 

And he's almost certain that Eren actually likes to hear this, which is both good and bad. The omega quickly makes himself busy rubbing his neck against the man's chest, and arms, and Levi swallows with a bit of difficulty at the sight of the brunette. He stays like this for a moment or two, watching Eren who's just so fucking eager to smell like Levi that even looking at this display feels like committing some sort of sin.

There's certainly a painful hardness in Levi's pants at this point, and he can feel the very same kind of urgency that is apparent in Eren's scent as well.

He also sort of doubts that the boy even remembers what he just said to him, but he could be wrong about that. Levi's head definitely is far from organised at this point. 

"You don't want anyone else touching me?" Eren asks after a few seconds, and Levi places kisses near his jaw that have the boy exhaling softly and offering up more skin with each movement. So apparently, the brunette did listen.

"Absolutely no one," Levi confirms, thankfully able to suppress the 'because you're mine' that mentally follows. At the reassurance, Eren's scent turns into something that must resemble the voice of a siren, fruity and promising in all the worst ways. 

"Well that's a good thing because I don't want anyone else touching me either," the omega boldly declares, as if he knows exactly what Levi wants to hear most. "So go ahead and touch me," he continues, "I'm not very good at this and I might mess up somehow, but you smell.. and you look.." 

Apparently the question is visible in Levi's eyes, because Eren answers the unspoken question and finishes his sentence after a few silent seconds. 

"Kind of hungry, or starving. Like talking isn't what we should be doing right now," Eren says, half confident and half awkward. Levi cannot really decide but he doesn't need to, because Eren is so very right; he just described the raging instincts inside of Levi in relatively fitting words, which means that the boy has some idea what he's getting himself into, but that's not quite enough to make Levi feel sure about this yet.

"If you want me to stop at any point, or if you're uncomfortable, you need to tell me. It's been years since my last rut and I don't want to hurt you," Levi tells him, coupled with a stare that probably reaches all the way into Eren's soul.

The omega actually flushes a darker red at this, but catches himself and one of his hands starts unbuttoning the raven's shirt sort of playfully while trying to hold Levi's stare and not be the first to avert his eyes. "I'm fine," he says, "I believe that you won't hurt me, but if it's too much, I'll say so." 

And that is all Levi needed cleared up before he pulls Eren up into a sitting position, interrupting the clumsy fingers still trying to open the alpha's shirt. 

Before Eren can complain, the alpha has him in his arms, standing up with the boy who wraps his legs around the raven's hips, clinging onto his body tightly. 

..

"What are you doing?" Eren questions him, and he's fairly certain that the raven's smirk is enough of an answer. 

"I'm taking you to my bedroom," the alpha explains, as if it's a usual occurrence, and Eren can feel a hint of nervousness rising inside him upon hearing that, but it's easily overshadowed by the fact that this is Levi. He wouldn't hurt Eren; the omega refuses to even think of that as a possibility. 

So instead of saying anymore, the brunette lets his instincts take over and purrs into the hard shoulder his face is resting on, suffocating himself in Levi's tea-like scent. 

Before he knows it, they've reached Levi's bedroom, and maybe it's the fact that Eren is getting closer to his heat, or maybe not... but he definitely feels a strange amount of joy upon realising that the alpha is really, carefully placing him on the mattress that smells so much like Levi that Eren wants to disappear in it entirely. 

Or maybe the opposite; honestly, Eren very much appreciates the idea of not disappearing but instead remaining right here in this moment for the rest of his life.

Maybe building a nest here would be a great idea, his brain cannot help but think.

Everything just seems right for once, and he has only Levi to blame for the fact that he isn't at all terrified of what's going on. Better yet, he actually wants this to happen. 

"Are you really sure about this?" the alpha asks again, and by now Eren is honestly wondering how in the world the man even has the patience to be so slow and careful about this. His entire scent is screaming loudly, telling the brunette that Levi is clearly having a hard time holding himself back here, and the fact that for Eren, he tries... it means quite a bit. 

And only serves to make the omega's next words sound even more certain, "I'm not just sure, I'm ready, so stop stalling." 

And with that, the brunette attacks the alpha, this time actually catching the man off guard with his fast movements and the intensity of the kiss. After a second of recovery, the alpha is back at it however, letting his hands play with the brunette locks only to suddenly pull his head down and devour Eren's neck again like a starving animal.

And Eren cannot hold back the whine that follows the rough treatment, pressing closer to the alpha. Even Eren himself can tell that he smells needy, like he's asking for it. 

And it's strange to not feel ashamed of that, but in a good way. In a way he didn't think he'd experience ever in his life, because he didn't expect to ever meet an alpha like Levi. And although he can be an ass, and always looks annoyed, Eren finds himself actually trusting the man not to hurt him. It might be naive, deciding so after knowing him for such a short time, but it doesn't feel nearly as insane as it sounds. 

It feels both like he's known Levi for a lifetime and like he's only just met him; it's a strange and unusual thing to feel but it isn't bad at all. Like a flicker of warmth inside of him that he isn't quite used to.

Or maybe it's the fact that Levi has started taking off Eren's shirt with those skilful fingers and one hand of his is slowly making its way to one of Eren's nipples with a featherlight touch. The omega finds a good spot in the alpha's neck to put his lips and teeth on, and when Levi's finger has reached his nipple, Eren can't help but bite down a bit hard, overwhelmed with the sensation because he can literally feel the weight of all the time he has more or less robbed himself of this. If he did touch himself during a heat, it wasn't exactly to feel good but rather to maintain his sanity when the desire got too out of hand and he just couldn't take it anymore. 

But this, it actually does feel good to him, new and strange, but incredibly good. 

Apparently Levi is quite satisfied with his reaction, teasing Eren some more before he pushes him down and actually bites into the now sensitive, pink skin, drawing another moan out of the omega. His fingernails are surely leaving marks on the alpha's back, but he can't quite bring himself to care. 

The man then kisses his way down Eren's chest and stomach, until he stops on his hip bones, and by that time Eren is a complete mess, unsure where to touch the man, how to breathe and how to do anything - and although there are so many things he can't be sure about yet, the omega inside of him seems to actually be more of a help than a hindrance for once, and he eagerly pulls the alpha up into another kiss, letting himself be robbed of his breath. In the short moments when Eren dares to open his eyes between kisses, he tries to burn the image of Levi's expression into his brain or take a mental photograph of it. He wants to remember this.

Not only because Levi looks unreal and vaguely threatening like those people in perfume commercials do with just a bit of editing involved, but because of that something visible in his eyes when he's looking at Eren. No one has looked at him in this way before, not with half of that intensity. 

He doesn't have the time to get lost in those thoughts for long, because the alpha has apparently reached a sort of limit concerning his self control, or that's what it feels like with the way he eagerly kisses and touches Eren, and pushes him down into the mattress again. This time though, the raven makes sure his legs are angled, and it takes Eren about ten seconds until he realises that he's supposed to wrap them around the man's hips.

Although it shouldn't be much of a surprise considering their position, a gasp falls from the omega's lips when Levi thrusts their bodies together in just the right way, and Eren can feel it through his pants as though they didn't exist at all. But that may very well just he the fact that with each touch and with each bit of closeness they share, he only seems to get more sensitive, skin burning at even small hints of touch.

There's also this feeling he cannot really recognise from anywhere; perhaps it's the fact that he isn't fighting part of himself for once; yet again Levi is sharing a moment like this with him, where no fighting is needed. After years of trying so hard to feel some sort of control over his life, it's the first time Eren can actually bring himself to consciously, willingly let go of control, and it feels a whole lot like escaping a prison. Not like losing control because his body is taking over, but because it's precisely what he wants. 

"Aah," he moans loudly, his fingers reaching the alpha's back quickly so he can pull the man closer. 

"Nnh, Levi! " the omega breathes out sharply when the motion is repeated, their clothed erections rubbing together like their bodies are part of some finely crafted gear, fitting together perfectly and moving I'm synch.

"Eren," the raven's deep voice appears like a lighthouse through the fog, and the brunette can only stare at him, hoping to make it clear that he's listening to the alpha. "I'm not going to fuck you, not like this." 

And just when there's that tickling in green eyes, alarming Eren that he might start crying soon because that sure as hell was a clear message, the alpha continues speaking. 

"But I want to touch you, and make you come. I want to make you feel good. If that's okay," he whispers into the brunette's ear and damn, if that isn't the most positively thrilling sentence anyone has ever whispered in Eren's ear. Although he sort of wants to protest and tell the man to actually go through with what they both know they could be doing, this doesn't sound bad either. As if he could really say no to anything the raven offers him at this point; Eren is already wrapped around the alpha's finger. Hopeless and honestly a bit desperate; he can barely even come up with an answer at all. 

"I, just.. - do something, please, alpha," he demands, the lack of movement making the boy aware of just how desperate he actually is for his touch, and it's almost unreal; to want something with such burning passion that is right in front of you.

Following the urgent plea, Levi is quick to get Eren's pants opened and pulled down, leaving the omega in only his boxers that barely do anything to conceal both his obvious erection and the pheromone filled scent of his slick. 

Like an insect heading straight to its fire death, the alpha gives Eren one last glance that is so intense that the brunette probably survived it only thanks to his lidded eyes, dark lashes blurring the image in front of him. He can see and particularly feel Levi kissing his way down his chest again though, only this time he doesn't stop at the collar bones. Which in turn makes Eren's slutty noises turn louder. His breathing is a mess by the time Levi is pressing a kiss on his dick through the black fabric of the underwear. 

Eren is entirely too disoriented to even notice what exactly is happening, but his brain does register that sudden cold of his underwear being removed, and his legs bent over his stomach as Levi folds him up to his liking. 

There's something incredibly vulnerable about being spread out like this, and Eren feels more than he can see how Levi is taking it all in, the alpha's scent going crazy while he does so. Trying not to flush a deeper red seems pointless by now, but even that becomes questionable in the moment when Levi's tongue makes contact with skin. 

Or rather than that, with slick. 

"Ah, fuck! Levi! Oh my God," Eren almost screams, trying his hardest to keep his body from trashing around with how overwhelmed he is. Like a switch has been flicked, the still somewhat coherent thoughts in his head turn into a whirlwind of nothingness and there's only one thing in his mind anymore. 

He needs more of this, more and it needs to be fast and hard and- 

Then Levi drags his tongue across the wet, hot skin of his entrance and Eren's hand finds his hair like a magnet, grabbing the black locks and violently pushing the man closer because he feels like he's going to die if Levi continues with those teasing, slow movements for just one more second. 

It's entirely new to Eren; no one has done this with him ever before, and in this very moment he's incredibly happy about that. Because something inside of the omega knows that with anyone else, this would have been a disaster. A panic attack waiting to happen, or just too damn obscene and embarrassing.

He never thought someone could make him feel like this, like dissolving into air and burning just like a flame that cannot be put out. Everything about this is exhilarating, and it's all thanks to Levi.

The stream of moans falling from Eren's mouth ends with a drawn out whine when Levi has licked up so much of his slick that the thought alone makes Eren dizzy with want. 

"Fuck, you taste so perfect, omega," Levi praises him while looking up from down there, his cold eyes burning, and his scent - it's all blurring into one thing; scent, feeling, sight and hearing don't exactly seem to manage existing as anything but one giant wave of experiences and feelings anymore. 

"I.. You- please," is the pathetic answer the brunette is able to form and it's obvious in Levi's gaze that he loves seeing him like this, barely able to talk and all messed up thanks to the alpha's touches and his words. Sinking into another reality, one where Eren can let himself be touched like this and he isn't afraid or disgusted. Maybe what happened years ago isn't affecting him as much anymore, or maybe it's something else. Something bigger that he's a bit scared to think of, because the ridiculousness is just too much, probably. 

That doesn't change the fact that by the time Levi is just a breath away from his cock, Eren's brain is screaming something at him with an intensity that leaves him shaken for a moment. 

'Mate,' the word echoes, before all sound is cut off when the warmth of Levi's lips descends around his erection and the alpha takes nearly all of him in his mouth with no problems or hesitation. Eren wants to look, to see the man's face in this very moment, but he can't bring himself to open his eyes for fear that it might be too much.

He isn't unaware of the fact that this - this isn't how any alpha he knows would act during their rut. Or in general. Usually what an alpha has in mind is relatively simple, and animalistic. They want nothing but to fulfill their selfish desires and satisfy their bodies, not really caring about the one on the receiving end of it. But Levi, he clearly has that animal in him too, in an entirely different way though. Each gasp that falls from Eren's lips spurs the raven on, and he's doing everything he can, being slow and gentle and yet not too slow or too gentle. Aggressively caring, one might call it; as if he wants to do everything right for Eren and god knows how hard he is probably holding himself back in some ways right now. 

For Eren's sake.

He couldn't appreciate it more, to be treated in such a way, like he's worth it, and surely the loud cry of pleasure that leaves Eren's throat is an efficient way of expressing that sentiment.

It works yet again; the alpha enthusiastically moves his mouth up and down, using his tongue and lips to work the heated flesh and holding both of Eren's legs in his strong hands while watching Eren fall apart beneath him. 

At this point, all shyness is lost in the onslaught of hormones, and the omega finds himself opening his eyes to catch a glimpse of his- of Levi.

There aren't many words to describe the image he's greeted with, or perhaps there are and Eren simple isn't in any state to find them. Black hair is almost covering the raven's eyes, but even through that thin veil Eren is instantly held in place by grey, sucking in a heated breath. 

The alpha just keeps going, moving his head but looking straight at Eren through it all, with his lips wet and an expression like he'd kill anyone who dares to enter the room at this point. The same thing his scent is saying, basically.

He's absorbed in what he's doing; in Eren.

All of Eren's body is focused only on the alpha in return, and although he's probably going to freak out about this later, there's a strange calmness beneath it all; like things are falling into place and the world is making sense now that he knows what Levi looks like sucking his dick. That's about the extent of how attractive it is. And yet there's much more to it that that, Eren can't deny.

"Levi! I'm gonna..," he pants when it feels like he's about to burst, already. 

And just like that, the warmth disappears; a needy whimper is playing on Eren's lips half a second later, but it's cut off in another urgent kiss. His mind barely registers the fact that he can taste himself on the alpha's lips, and that seems to actually satisfy some part of him because Eren can literally feel an obscene amount of slick wetting his ass and probably the bedsheets beneath him too. 

In no state to even try and dominate the kiss, he melts against Levi and lets the man set the pace and rhythm, simply drowning in the sensations this skilled mouth creates for the both of them.

When the raven grants him a break, Eren is breathing hard and aimlessly holding onto the other with powerless hands. 

"Look me in the eyes, okay?" the alpha demands softly and Eren barely manages to open them in his daze, but he nods his head to make it clear he knows what his alpha wants from him.

That's when Levi's fingers come back down to caress the wet mess between his legs and the alpha takes his time letting one finger circle the hole, his other hand like a warm blanket on Eren's cheek that prevents him from hiding his head underneath a pillow or moving around too much. 

Through it all, wide pupils drink the image of Eren's face in like a starved vampire presented with a juicy artery.

"You're so wet for me," Levi tells him, and Eren isn't quite able to answer with actual words. 

"Tell me how much you want this," the alpha challenges him, pressing against the entrance and sinking just the tiniest bit of his finger into Eren, but it's enough the have the boy lifting his hips and moving softly against him with a roll of his hips. 

"Say it," the man presses on, his voice so urgent and steady that a sigh leaves Eren's mouth when he hears it. Attempting to gather all the sanity left in him, Eren replies just before he's about to break underneath that hungry stare. "Please, Levi - I," he begins, his hips starting to move with more desperation against the finger and forcing it a bit deeper inside, but it isn't nearly enough to find any relief. 

"What is it, love?" 

The nickname is yet another reason for Eren's heart to skip a beat and tears are threatening to collect in his eyes thanks to the intensity of it all. 

"It- I.. I feel empty," the omega tries to explain, moving his body to emphasise what it is he wants the alpha to do without actually saying it aloud.

"You want me to fill you up then?" Levi asks calmly although his eyes are anything but, and hearing him talk like that does all sorts of things to Eren, but it mainly has him nodding his head frantically and closing his eyes because this - it feel like he's going to explode underneath all the touches and attention, and it's both foreign and breathtaking. Dizzying, too.

"Please," is the last word Eren gets out before Levi does what is asked of him, and pushes the finger in so very slowly that it feels like burning up from the inside out, sparks traveling through his whole body. It leaves his jaw slack and fingernails digging into any skin Eren can find. Taking in a sharp breath, he tries to get used to the feeling of having something inside him and being opened up like this by someone; so agonisingly slowly. 

Once the finger is all the way inside, Levi pulls back out only to thrust inside and make Eren moan in the process, yet again. Eren is only half aware of the fact that Levi keeps changing the angle, experimenting until he brushes past his prostate and a switch inside the omega is flicked once more, his body moving on its own like a well oiled machine. As if the omega inside him is taking complete control from here on, it feels natural to expose his neck to the alpha, hips moving against fingers in any way Eren can manage in this position. It's aa if he's being consumed entirely by a heat or just high on pheromones and touches.

Levi definitely makes use of the skin offered to him, biting and linking anywhere near his scent glands.

"Use more fingers," Eren half whispers through the fog in a voice that doesn't really resemble his own at this point, and when Levi indeed uses another finger it shuts him up, and has him biting his lips to ignore the slight discomfort of being stretched like this. He isn't in heat after all, but it damn sure nearly feels like it with what they're doing and how well he's handling it.

The sound of skin against slippery skin is like a sinful song that Eren cannot help but moan along to, and loudly. 

"Aah, mmh- God! Harder," he can hear himself demand, and isn't even sure whether he's talking about the bites on his neck or the fingers slamming into him at an ever-growing pace. When the alpha opts for both and bites down particularly hard in just the right place while also thrusting his fingers into Eren and hitting the bundles of nerves inside him that has him going crazy, the pleasure suddenly becomes so overwhelming that without any warning or declaration from him, everything inside of Eren seems to be flooded with endorphins and warmth, and he drowns just beautifully in that wave as it overcomes him.

"Le- vi, aah," he moans, just half a second before the orgasm entirely overtakes him, his back arching and cum staining both Eren's and Levi's skin when the world around them falls apart like an illusion. Every muscle in his body first tenses up and then suddenly relaxes a moment later, nails digging into flesh violently because he has no other way of handling all of this. And just maybe it's sort of an instinct, too. To put as many marks as possible on the alpha.

Levi presses Eren tightly against him when the omega comes, biting his neck yet again and not letting his fingers pause in their movements until Eren is nothing but a breathless puddle of bliss with his own cum on his stomach and chest; a total mess but satisfied in a way he never even felt before. Never.

"You did so well," the alpha says into his ear, lying down on the bed right beside Eren and putting his scent all over him again, rubbing their wrists and necks together to which Eren replies with silent noises of approval. 

"I.. did?" the brunette asks dreamily, his eyes as wide open as he can manage in his drowsy state, focused on the alpha's wrists while he's rubbing it across his collar bones. 

"Yes," he hears Levi say, "You're - Thank you, for trusting me like this." 

The words have Eren smiling dumbly, but his chest is still in the process of calming down so his voice comes out a bit awkward, "I really do. And you're still.. uh. Can I touch you, too?"

The omega feels stupid, asking like this, but at the same time he isn't used to this type of sitatuation at all and uncertain what is expected of him. Big, green eyes give Levi a look, and the man pulls Eren into a soft and open mouthed kiss that leaves both of them breathless after a while. 

"That depends. Do you want to?" the alpha asks, and somehow Eren turns crimson upon hearing the question, a hint of anxiety making itself known. 'This is Levi, not just anyone,' the boy reminds himself though, and he takes a few slow breaths. 

"I- Yes. Please, alpha," the brunette surprises himself with just how desperate his voice sounds again, and he can hear the Levi swallow in response to his words, his expression almost pained with want.

"Then go ahead," Levi says and in that moment it occurs to Eren just how much he wants to impress the raven. He wants to do well, and to satisfy the alpha. It's as if his whole being is pushing him in that direction, and that's why suddenly there is no more fear or hesitation and the brunette finds himself pushing his clothes off the man and running his fingers along the muscles on his chest playfully. Something makes him want to kiss the heated skin, and Eren cannot help but follow that urge, placing his mouth near the man's hip bones and kissing and tasting the alpha like he's maybe losing it. Levi groans in response, the man's scent as intense as smoke, filling the air and making the omega inside of Eren feel more and more desperate to please. 

It's what pushes him to hurry and get the alpha's pants open; clumsy fingers on an urgent mission to discover new parts of Levi's body. When he finally manages to pull the clothes down, Eren's eyes widen at the size of the bulge in the black underwear. It's in that particular moment that his mind chooses to remember the incident with the boxershorts and.. maybe it's that scent. 

Because it does just the same thing to him; Levi smells like everything Eren could ever dream up mixed together. Heated, and cold like wind, content and yet coaxing Eren to come closer and touch him. To taste his skin and savor it, and show the alpha that he can do this. So he can hear Levi's praise again, and make him feel as weightless as Eren still does.

Licking along the black fabric and wetting it in the process, the omega moans like he's enjoying a taste of his favorite ice-cream, and then - 

Then Levi's phone rings and it cuts through the atmosphere like the sharpest of knives. Part of Eren wants to just go on and pretend like he didn't notice Levi checking the screen, and making the most annoyed noise he has heard from the man yet. 

And then he picks it up, and Eren awkwardly remains in his position, bent down and with that promising piece of flesh right in front of his face and a probably confused expression.

"I swear to God, if this isn't important-" the alpha doesn't bother with a greeting, his eyes murderous and hand holding the phone so tightly that it must be about to burst. 

"Farlan? What? What's going on?" the change of tone is so sudden that it has Eren sending a worried look the alpha's way instantly. Upon noticing his distress, the raven starts rubbing Eren's head in a motion perhaps meant to calm them both down. 

"I'll be there as soon as I can. She'll.. make it. Right?" Levi asks, and his empty gaze has Eren worried to the point where he doesn't even know what to do, or how to help. Of all things he expected to happen today, this wasn't even on the list of possibilities. 

Just seconds later, the call is over and Levi's fingers are clearly trembling when he addresses the omega with a monotone voice.

"Eren, I- I need to go to the hospital, and fast. I just need to take some suppressants and then I'm leaving, I'm sorry-" 

"You're not going anywhere alone," Eren declares, his mind working quickly for once and he starts putting on his clothes, using his used underwear to clean himself up as good as possible. 

"You can't," the alpha begins, but his words trail off in the middle of the sentence.

"I'll just stay in the car or something, but you cannot go all by yourself, Levi. Not like this," he says, pulling the man off the bed when he seems strangely frozen, most likely in shock. "I'm coming with you, and that's final!" 

Finally catching up with the situation, the alpha jumps up, pulling his pants back up and staring at Eren for a moment before he seems to make up his mind. 

"Fine, come on then and hurry."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm incredibly sorry this took so long.. yet again. I swear I'm not doing it on purpose, life is just.. too much sometimes? 
> 
> Anyway, here's the new chapter and I'm personally kind of excited to write the next one so let's just all hope that my inspiration, my brain and my fingers all work well together.. I'm also trying not so make this story too sad because someone who was important to me died a few months ago and now I just couldn't really handle writing a super sad hospital scene.. I don't know 
> 
> if anyone wants to talk, suggest something or anything of that sort or if someone has ideas for one shots or something, you can talk to me on my tumblr, it's gentleincision
> 
> I'll also try to start replying to comments because they mean a lot to me and I'm scared that I'm very bad at expressing that, but I'm honestly so thankful for all the support and love you're giving this story.. thanks, again!

"We're not leaving through the front door smelling like this, come on," Levi commands in an impatient voice, grabbing Eren by the wrist and leading the boy outside and on the fastest way out to his car. The omega still seems a bit dazed and Levi cannot exactly blame him for it. His own mind is caught somewhere between what just happened between them, what didn't happen and the emergency call he got from Farlan. 

Needless to say, he's perhaps the biggest mess he has ever been. Or close to it, at least. 

But there's nothing he can do except trying to arrive at the hospital fast, and maybe it's a good thing that Eren was so stubborn about coming with him, because otherwise he would have definitely speeded and in this state of mind, that wouldn't have been a wise decision at all. But with Eren on the passenger seat, he wouldn't dare.

Not only that, but it also feels like Levi is a bit less tense while holding onto the omega, perhaps because of the hormones still in his system. Leaving him behind would have hurt more than he wants to admit, and he doesn't even want to think about how that would have made the brunette feel. 

Now, with the suppressants in his system it's only a matter of time before his possessive thoughts and such will eventually clear up, and a clear head would sure as hell be helpful in the hospital. Or in general. Although that concept appears more than foreign right now; peace of mind seems like a faraway phenomenon at best. Like it left to get some cigarettes, with no intention of coming back. He squeezes the brunet's hand a bit tighter and forces himself to focus on the warmth of his skin like Eren is his anchor out at sea on a stormy day.

After just two minutes, the two of them have reached the car and Eren throws himself into the passenger seat, staring at Levi who's already starting the engine just a second after slamming the door shut with too much force. 

"Levi," Eren stops him, his eyes and voice demanding attention, "I - this isn't like you. Just take one moment to breathe, okay? We're going to be there soon and everything will be okay somehow. You can talk to me if it helps. I'm here." 

Silver eyes just stare at him, and the alpha forces himself to take the advice, closing his eyes and concentrating on his breath for about twenty seconds before he opens them again to find Eren still looking at him, his green eyes full of warmth. Levi's initial reaction is to curse himself for causing the amount of concern he can see in the turquoise depths.

"Thank you," he says, his voice a bit calmer, and starts the car with warm, but less shaky hands.

"Anytime," the boy replies and leans across the muscled chest to fasten Levi's seat belt. Grey eyes watch him, and the alpha cannot help but wonder what in the world he has done to deserve the omega sitting beside him. Eren is everything he never dared to ask for, and more than that.

Unsure where he's going with that thought, the raven starts driving; it should take them about 20 minutes to reach the hospital. Once they're on the street, he makes a decision that he probably wouldn't ever have made under different circumstances. 

Maybe, talking about it could actually be a good idea. He doesn't have to go into detail about all of it, he reasons.

But somehow it doesn't feel at all that hard to share things with Eren, and it makes him want to try to be more open. Although being open emotionally is the last thing in the world he would consider himself good at. Maybe it's the hormones, or something else altogether. But if Eren trusts Levi with his fears and doubts, then it's only fair for him to do the same; that particular thought is the one that has him opening his mouth.

"Have you ever heard of the Wings of Freedom?" the alpha asks, keeping his eyes on the road. 

Even saying the name hurts, but there's no turning back now. 

"I think I heard that name in the news once or twice? I'm not really one for paying much attention to the news though, there's too much mind control and stuff in there," Eren admits. "So, what exactly are the Wings of Freedom?" 

"You're saying something there, kid. The Wings of Freedom, they're are a group of omegas and supporters that fight for equal rights. They.. want to make a change in the world, basically." 

"That sounds pretty awesome to me, so what about them?" 

"Awesome. In theory, maybe," Levi agrees with a bitter laugh, but his expression and scent are unmistakably bothered by something, and there's no way Eren cannot tell, "My mother belonged to that group, and so did I for many years." 

Levi doesn't need to look at Eren to know that the omega is giving him a look. That amazed, surprised and wide-eyed kind of look that only he seems to have perfected.

"That is until six years ago. We'd made a lot of progress and things seemed to actually be moving in the right direction, but just before we could get one of the laws through that would cleared the path for creating basic human rights for omegas...," he stops, making a conscious effort to loosen his grip on the steering wheel a little, ".. there was an attack. There are some people who believe that protecting tradition and order is the most important thing of all, more important than the lives of a few people. Some for religious reasons, others mainly because of money." 

It's at this part that he needs to take a break again forcing himself to emotionally detach just a bit for the sake of not getting too overwhelmed while driving. Maybe he should have picked a better moment to tell the story, or maybe it isn't so much about the timing as it is about facing the entirety of his past.

It never gets easier to really accept reality; not with time, and not with wisdom. 

"Six members were killed that day, and my mother was the first to die. Shot in the head three times. The ones who did is were never caught, but the police speculated that quite a few alphas saw themselves threatened by the work we were doing, although they barely told us anything." 

"Levi, that's- I'm so sorry. I had no idea that anything like this happened and your mother.. I'm so, so sorry," Eren replies, sounding almost as if he's about to start crying, caught between anger and pure, unquestionable sadness. 

Levi squeezes his hand in his, letting the boy know that it's alright. That while he'll probably never get over it, he can manage to move forward with those memories somehow, and that he appreciates the boy's empathy truthfully. Although it isn't too obvious in Eren, he still has that trait inside of him that nearly all omegas possess. The ability to feel with others and be open in a way that most alphas have a hard time doing. An inner strength that many mistake for weakness.

A feeling of pride grows in his chest for a second or two, remembering how far Eren has come and how much better he is doing already. A bit like watching a flower blossom - and although the alpha isn't exactly a flowers kind of guy, he still appreciates seeing Eren fighting himself less and less. 

He also appreciates the fact that the distance between them seems to be fading with every moment, every day. 

 

"It's okay. The world isn't always fair and the only thing you can do is move forward. 

I couldn't stay there though, and help reorganise the group after the attack. Although it's what my mother would have wanted, there were too many memories there. I was about to lose it, to go out there and kill the guys I suspected could be responsible, so after a week with basically no sleep and too many murder fantasies, I quit. Called Erwin, and asked him if he was still looking for someone to help him. It was a drastic change, but I managed to convince myself that by working with omegas, I can help too. At least for as long as those old ideas are still so stuck in people's minds, I reasoned that the only thing I can do to help without risking anyone's life in the process is to make sure that 'problematic' omegas learn how to behave in a way that at least keeps them from getting punished with violence or rape for misbehavior. That's still happening to too many under the disguise of a marriage or partnership. 

I asked Farlan and Isabel to come with me, but they refused. Said that they wanted to keep fighting for the organisation, and I was in no position to talk them out of it. I understood their anger and their reasoning and wouldn't try to change their mind. Although I was afraid - that something might happen to them too if they stayed."

Stopping at a red light, he turns to find Eren paying full attention, looking like he's feeling every single word Levi says and holding onto Levi's hand still. Before he can really react to it or even realise it's happening, the omega pulls the pale hand towards his face, placing the softest kind of kiss on his knuckles. It has Levi speechless for a second, unsure why such a gesture could provide so much comfort coming from the brunette. 

"I'm sure they didn't blame you for it. I wouldn't. And your mother wouldn't have, either. After all of that, it's understandable that you needed to distance yourself and do something else - something new. You wouldn't have been able to help anyone if you got yourself into prison. I can't imagine how hard it is for you to talk about this, so.. thank you, Levi."

Half surprised at the omega's understanding words and half surprised at himself for opening up like that and actually going through with it, the raven can only nod like a zombie.

"But now, Isabel got attacked on her way home from work, and the only reason she got out alive is that someone called the police after hearing her screams. If they had been just a little slower she might have been.. dead. Killed. If I had stayed with them, I would have never let her walk home alone, I would have.." he replies, hearing his own voice become hollow. It's one of those things that his mind cannot just wrap around, and a strange mixture of angry guilt and hopelessness is added on top of that disbelief.

"But she isn't. Someone did hear her, and she's in the hospital where there are doctors doing their best to help her, I can guarantee that. If there's one thing in the world I understand, then it's anger - and fear, too. I don't get why the world just keeps fucking everyone over, especially the people who are trying to do the right thing. But this is in no way your fault, so don't tell yourself that kind of story please," Eren half begs, and the urgency in his voice makes Levi want to believe him very badly. 

 

.. 

 

Levi's eyes look like stormclouds, unreadable and quick-moving, and Eren can only imagine the kind of pain he must be feeling in this very moment. He can only do so much to try and make the man feel a bit calmer, but he knows that it's not going to be alright until the raven can see for himself what the reality of Isabel's injuries looks like. Until then, it's like putting a bandage on an open wound and hoping to slow down the bleeding; knowing that he cannot stop the hurt entirely for the alpha, especially since he can barely grasp the entirety of the situation yet.

It's all too much, especially after the interruption. That feels like hours or days ago now, but in fact it's only been half an hour maximum. 

It's like Levi never really opened up to him on a deeper level, and now all of a sudden he's caught in the flood of information about the raven's past, involving memories that sound like they might come straight out of a horror movie. Things he doesn't want to believe the other had to experience at all. Because it hurts to even think about the fact that Levi went through that; that to this day and perhaps forever, those wounds will be present.

If someone killed Eren's mother, God knows he'd end up in prison for taking revenge and tearing someone's head off or something. Before he can blink, even. And it makes him realise yet again what Levi is capable of; although he's an alpha and obviously no stranger to the idea of taking revenge, the raven's self control is basically inhuman. 

Eren cannot stop himself from looking at Levi like he's the sun, or maybe a newly discovered planet for a moment, and that's also the moment when it becomes clear to him just how much he trusts the alpha. Unlike he's trusted anyone before, and unlike he thinks he'll ever trust anyone in the future. 

And he just can't accept the thought that Levi blames himself for anything that happened. Not when he's only ever been doing his best to manage with what life did to him.

The alpha is still silent, staring at the street and obviously half convinced of Eren's words at best. 

"You're the best alpha I know, I mean.. I guess the best person I know, too. And I don't even know you that well yet. But it hurts to think that you're blaming yourself for things that aren't even in your control. You deserved none of the things that happened..," the omega tells the other, his words becoming sadder as the weight of it all becomes more insufferable with each second in which he feels the other's distress. 

It's like all his own worries are so very small and meaningless in comparison to what the raven had to go through. 

And then just one second later Eren realises the extent of just what he has said to Levi in the past week when he got angry, how he blamed him, called him selfish, accused him of abusing omegas-

"Eren," Levi interrupts his thoughts, squeezing Eren's hand, "I can smell and feel that you're beating yourself up over something right now. I'm not really good at talking about my past, and I don't want to worry you with it either. Or hurt you. And you're right - this isn't something that was in my control, or anyone's really. I couldn't have known. Just.. know that I appreciate the fact that you came with me, and that you listen to what I'm saying, and talk me out of those stupid thoughts," the raven tells him, appearing a bit more like himself with his voice less tense. His words sound so genuine that it leaves the boy unsure what to say in return.

And in that moment, a strange and yet somehow logical thought hits Eren. Maybe it's something about the words or how Levi is saying them; or his brain being a bit late to catch up with it all. But as Levi's hand tightens around his yet again, it sort of feels like he's allowing Eren to figure out something about him that maybe no one else knows. 

Just how much it hurt the alpha to feel alone in his pain, despite all inner strength he clearly possesses. After losing his mother (and Eren can only speculate how much she would have meant to him) and then being forced to leave behind his friends, only to work in a job like this.. A job that basically makes any personal relationship nearly impossible, Eren cannot imagine how alone he must have felt sometimes. 

And he cannot exactly put into words how much it means that he is the one who Levi chose to tell this, without being forced to do it, no less. Gratitude is perhaps a bit of a weak word to describe the sentiment, and if they weren't currently in the car, the brunette would have thrown himself at the alpha and suffocated him in a hug for hours. 

Eren opens his mouth to say something he isn't sure he can even express when Levi's voice cuts him to it, "We're here." 

.. 

Levi doesn't park the car with half the precision he usually possesses, and yet he couldn't care less. There are times for those perfectionism traits, and then there are times when those things are in the furthest corner of his mind, like now. In fact, all that really matter to him in this moment is grabbing Eren's hand and getting to the emergency room as soon as possible. 

He doesn't even really have it in him to worry about the reunion with Farlan and Isabel although their friendship didn't exactly end on the best terms. If it truly ended, that is. Because the fact that he even received this call sort of speaks of the opposite, and maybe he had himself convinced that the two of them never wanted to see him anymore when it wasn't even truly the case. 

Either way, he's sure that he'll figure some things out today. 

Eren follows him like an obedient puppy despite the fast steps he's taking, and it's only now that Levi becomes aware of the fact that they're entering a building where there are all sorts of people around. The brunette still looks messed up from their earlier activities, his hair styled in a bedhead type of fashion and his lips somewhat red and swollen still. At least he doesn't smell like sex as strongly as he did before, but the amount of perfume and deodorant on the omega also buried so much of Levi's scent underneath it that it gives him mild anxiety to go in there like this. Without making it obvious that no one gets to look at him, or touch him.

And it makes the alpha feel torn, because he knows that this is his hormones talking, and he knows that they should hurry... but especially after what happened between them and with the images of Eren still so clear in his mind, he cannot just ignore that feeling.

So, without a warning he stops in front of the entrance, pulling the omega close and taking a few seconds to rub his wrists across his body. Just to make sure that no one will be unable to tell that he's his, he rubs their necks together too.

Eren appears to be half surprised, half shocked at the public scent marking, and yet he cannot help the small noise of approval from slipping past his lips either. This only serves to reduce the alpha's anxiety more, and the thought of taking his.. Eren into this building full of people doesn't seem as threatening anymore. 

The pupils in his green eyes widen the slightest bit, as if not entirely sober anymore, and maybe Levi's suppressants aren't really working that well either because it takes the raven another ten seconds or so to snap out it and stop admiring the sight and scent of the omega. 

When he does snap out of it though, the raven is quick to head in the direction of the entrance, and Eren is like a shadow beside him. 

"I guess the suppressants aren't really doing their job. I hope I didn't embarrass you," he tells the boy as they pass through the doors, heading for the reception area. But Eren doesn't smell like he's mad at him, and the blush on his cheeks may be subtle but Levi is observant when it comes to him. 

"It's fine, I.. don't mind it," the omega tells him, looking like a child that stole a cookie from a forbidden jar. 

Even with his scent unmistakably on the boy, Levi still feels like growling when an alpha passes them, but he tries his best to keep his head somewhat focused on the reason they're here. Of course it's just his luck to be suffering from the symptoms of his rut in a situation like this, he thinks to himself and sighs. 

"We're looking for his friend, Isabel uh-" 

"Magnolia," Levi finishes for Eren, giving the receptionist an impatient look and pulling the brunette just a bit closer to his side as though the middle-aged beta woman is some sort of threat.

His head is sort of telling him that everything and everyone is a threat, though. No matter how much his conscious thoughts are trying to convince his inner alpha of the opposite. Thankfully, Eren appears to be in a way better shape than Levi is in, thanking the receptionist sweetly when she tells them that Isabel has already been moved from the emergency room to a normal one. That bit of information at least takes some of the tension off the raven's chest, and this time Eren is leading the way, dragging Levi behind him with a loose grip on his hand.

After navigating through two stories of the hospital and passing by what must be the hundredth white door with a black number on it, Levi recognises the figure of an alpha standing in front of one of the doors, and his steps quicken as he approaches his old friend. 

"Farlan," the raven says in that deep voice of his and the initial look of murder fades once the other alpha recognises just who it is that greeted him. 

"Levi, thank God. You made it here quickly. I didn't know who to call and I had no idea up until half an hour ago how bad things really were. I was losing my mind, they were even about to kick me out of the hospital at first but- wait, who are you?" the quickly spoken words stop once the alpha recognises that it isn't only Levi who came, his eyes now on Eren. 

And although Levi is glad to see his old friend and to get the impression that maybe things aren't too bad with Isabel if Farlan is standing out here and not looking too horrible, he still finds himself stepping in front of Eren as if to shield him from the man's view. The alpha inside of him just cannot stand anyone's eyes on him, not in this state, no matter the circumstances. 

"What about Isabel?" he dodges the question, expecting some sort of information because after all he didn't come here to chit-chat. 

"She's sleeping right now. They had to treat her bruises and two broken rips, but it looks as if none of her organs got hurt. The doctors had to sedate her though, and it'll probably be a while before she wakes up or anyone is allowed inside. Thankfully, things looked much worse than they actually were." 

"What about the people who did this to her? Do they have any clues?" Levi cannot help but ask, fully aware of how low the chance is that they find out who did it. 

"Nothing. A vague description of three men, but they were all wearing black jackets with hoods covering their faces. Besides, whoever is behind this most likely didn't want to get their own hands dirty, so I bet those guys were just hired anyway." 

Those words sound so strikingly similar to what they were told years ago that for a moment, Levi finds it incredibly hard not to give into his anger. It's only when Eren makes a distressed noise behind him that he becomes aware of how his scent changed though, and the raven tries to take a few deep breaths. 

He gives Eren an apologetic look, and the omega seems unsure what to even say to him in return, his brows knitted and a certain look or worry on his face. 

"So basically now all we can do is wait," he half asks, half states, and Farlan nods his head, looking at Levi with that very same look he used to have when he was younger. 

Despite his tired eyes and his obvious restlessness that he's trying to conceal, there's a curiosity in his gaze too. 

A sigh leaves Levi's lips then, and despite his instincts that are telling him to shield Eren from the view of any other alpha, no matter who it is, the raven steps aside. 

"This is Eren," he introduces the brunette, unsure what title to give him or whatever is going on between them. 

"I honestly never expected you to find yourself a mate, you never seemed interested in anything of that sort." 

And that's when both Eren and Levi stiffen, caught off guard by that simple and yet very meaningful word. 

"Nice to meet you," the alpha says then, thankfully not offering a handshake because Levi isn't so sure how he would have handled that. Farlan is apparently oblivious to both their hesitation, and it's not like Levi can blame him for assuming things. After all, he's the one dragging Eren in here smelling like him. What else are people supposed to assume?

"It's uh, nice to meet you too. But Levi and I, we aren't.." comes the hesitant answer from behind, and it's easy to tell that Eren is struggling with his words.

"Officially bonded yet," the raven cannot help but finish the sentence for the struggling omega, and he only realises what he said after turquoise eyes widen on him. 

For a moment, Levi honestly thinks that he fucked up because they literally haven't talked about this at all and here he goes introducing Eren as his mate to be, in front of an old friend, no less. The very omega who he's heard saying several times that he's not going to accept an alpha as his mate. Ever.

But this is different, isn't it? He's not too sure.

He thinks about how to apologise, or how to take it back without making it seem weird because there's no way in hell Eren actually, really wants that much out of what it is that they're sharing. 

But somehow, there's no anger apparent in the boy, no 'what the hell are you saying' look or anything of that sort, just a quiet smile on pink lips that has Levi's heart beating faster. It almost makes him forget about where they are, the weight of the situation and the uncertainty of what's going on between them. That's how much he likes to see this particular kind of smile on Eren's face. 

The omega looks happy, the kind of happy you don't usually find in hospital waiting areas. 

"I'm very happy for you two," Farlan says with a grin, interrupting their moment.

"Have you finally had the guts to ask Izzy out at least?" the raven questions, and watches his friend's cheeks turn red, which is basically enough of an answer in itself. "You've been planning that for what, 7 years? Farlan, I swear to God. When she wakes up you're telling her or I'm doing it myself. You're fucking hopeless." 

... 

It's incredibly strange for Eren to watch Levi's interactions with his old friend. A good kind of strange, but strange nonetheless. Like catching a glimpse of something very private, and yet somehow being included in it. 

His head is still filled with that one sentence, like a song that's on repeat. 

'Not officially bonded.. yet.' 

The yet is what rings in his mind the loudest, a promise of something that he cannot really believe Levi actually articulated. He's hardly able to keep himself from smiling dumbly, just thinking about it. The fact that maybe Levi honestly considers asking him to be his mate seems like a fairytale, unrealistic and dreamy and... not like anything Eren even knew he wanted so very badly. 

But now that the possibility seems to be there, it's hard to focus on anything else. He barely even notices what the two alphas are talking about, instead busy staring at the raven's profile, admiring his features like a work of art in a museum. 

Remembering what his fingers felt like on him, and inside him... And those definitely are not the types of thoughts he should be occupying himself with; not in a hospital. But he blames Levi for it, too. By just saying something like that out of nowhere, it's no surprise that he makes Eren's inner omega go crazy. Not that it's only his inner omega that's affected by the words, as much as he wants to blame it all on him.

Regardless of his dynamic, the fact that Levi said that - it's nothing he can wrap his mind around. 

Eren allows himself to drift into those mushy thoughts just for a bit, and only because he cannot really stop himself from doing that; remembering what happened and imagining what might happen in the future, thinking about Levi's scent, the warmth of his skin and the strength buried beneath his clothes. His muscled chest, and back. 

The brunette is pulled out of his less than appropriate thoughts that escalated way too quickly just a moment later though, when Levi tugs on his hand, and it takes him a moment to figure out that he's leading them away from the hallway where they've been standing for minutes now. 

"Where are we going?" the brunette asks, flushing once Levi's silver eyes land on him, as if he's afraid that the man might be reading his mind. 

"We're going to get ourselves a cup of coffee, what were you daydreaming about?" the alpha asks, and apparently he can indeed read Eren's mind and is now trying to make his face flushed on purpose. 

It's not like Eren is just going to accept that though, and after making sure that Farlan isn't too close by, he half whispers into the alpha's ear, "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" 

That serves its purpose and catches the alpha off guard, silver eyes widening for a second, followed by a calculating gaze. At least Levi isn't as anxious and angry anymore as he was before hearing about the extent of the injuries, and that's the most important thing to Eren. He likes the thought that maybe his presence is helping in a way, too. The brunette uses his puppy eyes, focusing his gaze on Levi entirely, wanting to have something for the two of them to look forward to once they get out of the hospital. 

"Please?" 

"Of course you can," Levi replies after just two seconds, and those words shouldn't make Eren feel that much joy, but it's not like he can pretend that they don't. He presses a kiss to the pale man's cheek, muttering a "thank you, Levi" against his skin before skipping ahead with more enthusiasm in his steps. 

.. 

They've been sitting in the hospital cafeteria for about 2 hours, with Farlan disappearing every now and then to go and interrogate the doctors about Isabel, when they finally declare her awake, and specifically asking for him. Which leaves the group of three rushing back, Farlan of course being the one whose steps are the most hurried. 

There are two beds in the room, but only one of them is occupied, and one nurse is talking to the omega as they enter. Although the girl's face is definitely not in the best state, one eye bruised and blue, and her lips red with a hint of blood still, Eren thinks she's got a beautiful face. 

Her voice is scratchy, undoubtedly from her earlier screaming, but as the girl's green eyes turn to Farlan, they light up with a certain something - and Eren cannot help but wonder whether his eyes do that when he's looking as Levi. 

Watching the two is like watching a romantic movie, the alpha rushing towards her so fast that it's almost unnatural, and only after the two have been focused on each other for two minutes, it appears to occur to them that Levi and Eren are there at all. 

The brunette can feel Levi's posture relaxing though, his scent one of relief as he watches the two of them together. Although Eren dieser even know either of them really well, he feels pretty much the same way; they're Levi's friends after all, and he doesn't want to think about how much worse things could have turned out. 

"Levi?" the redhead asks eventually, lifting her head and smiling with her beaten up face, as though nothing at all happened. It's that cheerful type of smile, full of youth and capable of lighting up he room considerably, "I haven't seen you in forever." 

Eren can only watch the raven, smiling at her in return. 

"I'm sorry it's under such circumstances. I should have.. contacted the two of you earlier," the alpha says in return. 

"Yeah, old man," she chuckles, wincing as she sits up, "but either way, I'm happy to see you. You don't look as tired as usual." 

"I can't exactly say the same about you," Levi replies with a grin, and Eren feels a bit like he's watching a very private reunion, but then Farlan whispers something in the girl's ear, and her green eyes are suddenly behind Levi, her gaze landing on Eren. 

"Levi! What the hell, would you maybe introduce me to your boyfriend?! I see that you're still having the worst social skills, so nothing changed I guess. Hey, I'm Isabel," she addresses the brunette with much more enthusiasm than someone in a hospital bed should have. 

And yet again, Eren can feel his face turning into a nice shade of cerise as she calls him Levi's boyfriend. Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend. He's not so sure he'll ever get used to that. But the raven doesn't argue, or deny anything, which makes Eren's heart do weird things again.

"Isabel, this is Eren. Eren, you probably know her name by now," he says, stepping aside. 

"Nice to meet you," the omega supplies, earning himself a genuine smile from the redhead. "I'm not sure how to ask this, but are you okay? After what happened, I mean." 

"They gave me some pretty good painkillers, so I'd say I'm okay. Definitely didn't expect my evening to turn out like this, but I punched one guy a teeth out, and kicked the tallest one in the balls, made him scream like a little bitch. It was still kind of scary though, but I'm more pissed off than anything. Hopefully I kicked hard enough to make sure that he tasted them in his mouth." 

That leaves Eren speechless at first, and his next reaction is to laugh, loudly. Because he expected everything - crying, fear or maybe that she wouldn't want to talk about it at all. But not this; and it instantly has him liking her, and admiring the girl's strength. 

"What, it's true!" she argues, unable to keep herself from laughing as well. The two alphas just stare dumbly at them, one of Levi's brows raised. He smiles for a short moment though, apparently caught off guard by the absurdity of the situation. 

But the nurse interrupts the two omegas in their laughter, pointing out that Isabel is supposed to stay relatively calm because of her injuries (and that technically, it's not visiting time anyway) and Eren instantly feels bad about it, wondering whether maybe Levi should have left him at the front door of something. 

"You have a nice laugh, I approve of this," she says, pointing from Levi to Eren, "anyone who gets this old grump to smile has automatically passed the test." 

"Uh that's.. thanks?" the brunette replies, looking at the alpha who looks half annoyed, half amused. An expression that only he can pull off so flawlessly, and that's for sure. 

"Since we're on the topic, I think Farlan had something he wanted to ask you," Levi supplies, and he appears to be aware of the nurse's scolding gaze as well, "and I think we should probably be taking our leave and visit tomorrow during the actual visiting hours." 

Which is probably true, although Isabel looks a bit disappointed, but her attention turns to Farlan then, her eyes questioning the alpha what Levi was going on about. Before they can start discussing that though, the raven gives the girl a hug, and Eren waves awkwardly, reminding himself that there is no reason at all to be jealous when Levi says goodbye to her, "You had us all very worried, but I'm glad to see that you still don't let anything defeat you." 

"Don't get sentimental now," the redhead laughs, "make sure to bring Eren, and I want to hear details about how you met tomorrow." 

Eren cannot help but notice the look Levi sends Farlan, one that says something along the lines of 'I dare you not to ask her out,' and the boy cannot help but smile when they leave the room, glad to know that it all went much better that expected. 

When the door closes behind them, Eren cannot for the life of him hold back the question on his mind anymore. Although he's still somewhat embarrassed, he's just as enthusiastic about it.

"Boyfriend, huh?" he asks, delighted to see the other's cheek take on a hint of red, or maybe that's the light playing tricks on him. 

"Shut up, brat," is the only reply he gets, but it's said in such a way that doesn't disappoint him at all, with too much affection in that deep voice. Their eyes meet for a moment, and a wide grin stretches across Eren's face. The brunette chuckles and holds out his hand, more than delighted when Levi grabs it tightly, and leads the two of them in the direction of the exit.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so.. I had to break the chapter I had planned in two because the smut turned out to be.. more than expected?   
> I don't know, but anyways here is the new chapter and I'm hoping to be done with the next one soon.  
> I'm repeating myself but thank you to every one of you who takes the time to read this, comment and just.. motivate me to keep writing. I hope all of you are doing great  
> enjoy, hopefully!

"Get off my bed right now, brat," Levi demands as he enters his bedroom just seconds after Eren collapsed on the mattress, sighing in a way that sounds a bit too sinful, or maybe that's just Levi's brain which is definitely in the gutter. The brunette is face down on the sheets, and Levi would be lying if he pretended not to be staring at the boy's ass automatically, his eyes glued to the clothed curves. The scent of their earlier activities is in the room still, although it's fainter than before. It's soft, but definitely there; like sultry music playing somewhere in the background.

When Eren turns around, supporting his weight on his elbows to face Levi, the alpha cannot really deny how much he likes the sight of Eren on his bed. That uncertain gaze the boy is giving him only amplifies the feeling in his chest, and when the brunette bites his lower lip as if deliberately to manipulate the alpha, it almost becomes too much. He keeps his mind in check though, ignoring the fantasies that instantly invade his mind and threaten to turn themselves into reality. It has him wondering how he managed to live without such urges for years, and now that Eren is part of his life, it's as if he's done a complete 180. 

"But.. Levi.. I thought I was allowed to-" the omega begins to argue when Levi grabs him by his waist, pulling the boy off his bed easily and lifting him into the air which has Eren's breathing picking up instantly. 

"This isn't about whether or not you're allowed to be on my bed. We were just in a hospital, which means that you're going to shower, I'm going to shower and I'm also changing the sheets - look at the mess we left behind."

Eren's initial noise of complaint fades away at that, and maybe it's because Levi mentioned what happened earlier, but there's a note of arousal ecvident in Eren's scent yet again, and more or less obviously, the alpha pushes his nose into his neck to smell him, the sweet scent of cinnamon and apples doing nothing to calm his brain at all. If anything, it brings back images of the boy's moans and sighs.

"Shower with me," comes the almost inaudible whisper from the brunette, and for a moment Levi is afraid of seriously hurting him with the tight hold he has on the boy. It's not like he can really help it though, not when his entire system seems to react so strongly to those simple words, and he briefly wonders if Eren is actually aware of just how insanity inducing he is. Having the omega so close by is almost like locking an addict up in a room full of drugs; that's about the extent of how desperate he feels.

Because after all that happened, the raven cannot exactly claim that he's in the best state of mind to keep his self control intact, not if Eren pushes him too far. The suppressants definitely didn't do their job properly, and maybe all the stress of the day is playing into this as well, but it feels as if he could snap at any moment, with any touch or comment, and just break the omega with all his pent-up energy and leftover frustration.

"Eren, I'm not sure that's-" 

"Please, Levi," comes the sweet request spoken with so much feigned innocence that even if he wanted to, the alpha knows he wouldn't be able to deny Eren's wish. Although he hopes that Eren is aware of just what he is wishing for in its entirety. 

Because he can feel himself getting rock hard as he carries the omega in the direction of the bathroom, which would be uncomfortable if he wasn't focusing entirely on his breathing in order to keep himself from slamming the boy against the nearest wall and just making him fall apart. 

He wants to be a good alpha for Eren though, to make sure that he showers; so that he can rest comfortably on a freshly made bed after the exhaustion of the day.

His scent appears to betray his less wholesome thoughts though. Because although he isn't even doing anything, Eren whimpers, and shifts around in his grip, apparently just now becoming aware of the effect his words had on the man. By the time Levi sets him down on the edge of the bathtub, small fingers have already begun opening the buttons of his shirt. 

It has Levi swallowing, his eyes glued to the clothes coming undone, unable to move his gaze away. 

He wants to watch Eren, wants to tear that damn shirt of, wants to do something - he wants all of it at once, and it's too much. But hardly enough. 

"You're beautiful," he breathes, only half aware of the fact that he's speaking that thought out loud. 

The words have Eren's face red however, and his fingers stop their movements. Levi watches him take a deep breath, and he's entirely too infatuated with the rise and fall of his chest, the hint of breathlessness captured in the very act of breathing. Unable to stop himself, the raven goes ahead and continues where Eren left off, torturing himself by making sure that he opens each button slowly, one after another. 

This time his eyes are on the omega's face though, drinking in the image of ocean eyes, pupils dilating and swallowing up the color like storm clouds covering a bright sky. It reflects the changes in his scent beautifully, and Levi appreciates it unlike anything else to see that he's able to cause this reaction. 

Eren looks all messed up already, and he hasn't even done anything to the omega yet. 

But then, his shirt slides off those tanned shoulders, revealing more skin and it's at this point that the alpha decides that he's not just going to attack him like that. No, he'll have Eren begging for it; he wants those eyes to look at him with desperation as though it's the boy's mother tongue. He wants him to know what he'll get for teasing the alpha like this, looking at him with those sinful eyes.

So he takes half a step back, and opens his own shirt instead, watching confusion paint the boy's face before he realises what is happening and the confusion turns into something else - maybe hunger. 

He whines so quietly that it's almost inaudible, perhaps thanks to the loss of contact or maybe he simply finds it hard to just watch this. Either way, it makes the alpha slow his movements down even more, and although the holding back is about as exhausting as trying to keep a dam from breaking, that look is certainly worth it. 

Levi takes off his shirt then, folds it neatly and pretends not to be aware of the cloud of pheromones and warmth surrounding the omega. 

"What are you waiting for? Take your clothes off, you asked me to shower with you, didn't you?" he commands, and watches the blush growing on his cheeks. 

"I.. uh, yes!" Eren takes a moment to catch himself, barely able to keep his eyes off Levi's chest and once again, the raven is pretty thankful for having a routine that keeps his body looking rather muscular. Apparently Eren is a fan of it, and that's sure as hell worth all the hours of sweat and exhaustion. 

Silver eyes catch turquoise ones off guard then, and he can see both the embarrassment and the eagerness in them as he opens his pants and steps right out of them, which is when Eren's pink lips fall open. It's a gesture entirely too innocent in nature to look so damn hot.

It's both sweet and addictive, watching the changes taking place on the omega's expressive face, and Levi knows that if anyone else ever got to see the brunette like this, they would be dead in seconds. He literally never thought he'd see the day he'd become this obsessed with an omega, and yet here he is. Looking at Eren like he might be the one who makes breathing worth it. 

"Didn't you say you'd take off your clothes?" he teases the boy, the faintest smirk on the alpha's face that only grows when Eren realises he's been caught staring at the man brainlessly, unmoving.

Instead of replying, this time the omega actually starts taking the rest of his clothes off, leaving the raven hypnotised, obsessively following every movement. Like watching the premiere of a movie, he anticipates each next movement, each uneven breath and dazed look. When the boy stops just before undoing his underwear, Levi beats him to it and pulls his black boxers down his legs. He can literally watch the realisation traveling across the boy's face. And it isn't much of a miracle; Eren most likely didn't expect him to be this hard, just from watching him undress. 

The omega doesn't appear to complain though, and Levi has half a mind to snap his fingers in front of his face when Eren stares at his erection for a solid 20 seconds, licking his lips and flushing all the way down to his collarbone. He's a bit out of it, certainly, and it's only when Levi decides to toy around with him a bit by heading into the shower, disturbing his obvious staring, that the omega seems capable of moving or realising where and who he is. 

He's definitely getting closer to his heat, and if anything this display just now was proof of that, Levi cannot help but think as he turns the water on, waiting for the boy to join him. Luckily, he manages to evade the ice cold water by half an inch, and it soon comes out at the perfect temperature, if not a bit hot. 

And just as steam begins to rise from the water, Eren appears there, stepping through the door of the shower, completely naked, and looking at Levi with a gaze that must almost match his own in intensity. "Levi," he says, or rather whispers, stepping closer. His pupils are wide, his skin looks soft and before the alpha can grab him and push their lips together, the strangest thing happens and Eren slips, - 

except he doesn't slip. There's no crash, no scream, no chaos; and that's when Levi realises that this time, he's the one caught off guard. 

Because the omega lowers himself fast and as if he knows exactly what he wants to do, and the only sound that follows is that of knees meeting the shower floor. 

The water is still running, down Levi's back and from his shoulders to his chest, and now some of it is dripping on Eren's mob of brown hair as well. It takes yet another second until Levi fully registers what it is that the omega seems so very determined to do, and then he figures it out in an instant. 

Namely when Eren leans his head back, and gives Levi a look - the kind of look no one should possess because it's the kind of super power that can only get you into very morally questionable situations - and smiles the softest of smiles before pressing his pink and unused lips on Levi's hip bones, making sure that each side receives an innocent kiss. 

At that point, seeing Eren this close to his erection, Levi feels like sanity wasn't ever for him anyway. 

He forgets about the water running down the two of them, forgets about the hospital and all the events of the day, forgets his own name; and does the only thing he is capable of, which is grabbing those brown locks and more or less forcefully guiding the boy's head closer to where he wants it to be. 

He almost feels bad about grabbing him so hard, but Eren manages to surprise the alpha once more, and instead of fighting it, he does what is being asked of him, and purrs at a volume louder than the sound of water hitting the floor as he sticks his tongue out and the warmth of his tongue slides against the tip of Levi's dick. 

..

As Eren stands in front of the shower, thoughts are running through his head at a dizzying speed; self doubt mixed with the strangely intense desire that he's feeling for the man. His inner omega is definitely convinced that he needs to do this, and Eren cannot really say it sounds like a bad idea. He wants to cross that line, to see Levi lose his composure. But it maybe sounds like something that could potentially embarrass him unlike anything before. 

He remembers the earlier interruption though, just how pissed Levi spoke into the phone as a greeting, and maybe Eren can actually do this and not only give the man a blowjob, but an amazing one. Something that lets the alpha know that Eren is definitely into this, and just how badly he wants to discover more with and about the alpha. Like how he looks when he comes, or what his moans sound like. 

It's half childish enthusiasm to experience new things, to create new memories with Levi, and the other half of the feeling is something much more primal, something much less innocent. He wants to taste the alpha, to see him lose himself thanks to Eren, to actually show the other that while he may not be really experienced or particularly good at this whole thing, he's willing to learn. 

Above all maybe, he wants to prove something to himself as well. That he can do this; that he isn't beyond repair and can actually do this without panicking or remembering things he doesn't want to remember. 

And Levi makes it so very easy for him. Everything about the alpha is inviting Eren to step closer, from the way the water collects on his skin and runs down his chest to the black lashes above those grey eyes, weighted down by drops of water. Or maybe that half lidded gaze has something to do with Eren's actions, because the moment he steps towards him and into the shower, the omega lets himself sink down on his knees, and the impact hurts a bit more than he anticipated. That isn't exactly a bad thing though because it serves as a reminder that this is really happening. 

He's down on his knees, and about to give the very man a blowjob who he swore to he hated just days ago. And it makes him wonder how he was even able to think that. Because there's no one in the world he would willingly put himself in this position for in this very moment, except the raven. 

Stalling for a last few seconds and eyeing the erection that's so close to his face, Eren cannot deny that he wants this, needs it even. Levi's scent has even his last doubtful thoughts slipping away and he knows in the back of his mind that he's purring again, but he couldn't stop even if he wanted to. 

Not with the way Levi's pheromones are so strong that they nearly have him blacking out. Eren takes a few excited and definitely desperate breaths, and presses a kiss to the alpha's hip bones. It wasn't even exactly meant as teasing but the hand that takes a hold of Eren's  
hair and pulls him straight toward his very hard and very impressive dick tells the boy that maybe he made that impression. And apparently Levi isn't exactly his usual patient self either. 

His hold on Eren is strong, all rough pulling and desperate eyes, and if anything it turns him on more. It feels a bit shameful to admit and that probably has something to do with his pride and former detest of alphas and yet he can hardly lie and pretend like he doesn't enjoy it when Levi is a bit rough with him. Deciding not to disappoint, the omega opens his mouth, sticking his tongue out and letting it softly caress the leaking tip. 

The alpha's reaction is priceless, a sharp intake of breath, another cascade of pheromones and some kind of curse on his lips that Eren cannot really make out thanks to the sound of the water that has him drenched by now. 

It's all messy and warm and once Eren gets a taste of Levi it's as though someone has started a fire inside him. The hungry kind of fire that consumes entire landscapes with no hope of putting it out. 

He makes sure to keep up eye contact with the raven, and doesn't let hesitation get the better of him, opening his mouth and trying his best to get used to the feeling as he moves forward and takes the swollen tip into his mouth, wrapping his lips around it. Seeing Levi's eyes darken in response to this, the omega cannot help but try to impress the man, and he loosens his jaw, letting the warm flesh sink deeper inside and watching as Levi's expression transforms into something that looks almost like downright agony. The man's smell gives it away though that this is anything but agony; it has the omega shaking, each cell inside him on edge, and he's only becoming more desperate with each intake of breath.

He ignores the slight discomfort of having his mouth so filled up, and the pressure at the back of his mouth, and takes as much of Levi into his mouth as his body allows.

"Fuck, Eren," the alpha curses with just a second of delay, and the roughness of his voice has Eren speechless, not that he could reply even if he wanted to. 

So he does the next best thing and moves his head back only to rush forward yet again, his lips tight around Levi's dick. He does his best to use his tongue, too. And somehow that's when things start to get a bit messy, although it isn't exactly like he can differentiate between his own saliva and the shower water, because there's wetness everywhere. 

It only serves to accentuate the sinful noises that the movement is already creating. 

With the enthusiasm of a hiker in spring, he works on the erection in his mouth, moving back and forth, with both eyes now shut. After doing this a few times, Eren can feel the hand on his hair actually shaking, and it's when he looks back up that he becomes aware of how hard it apparently is for the man not to move. 

Levi's lips are tight, his pale skin flushed and his smell is like a ton of bricks hitting the omega in the face.

It's intense in a way that has the brunette feeling a bit delirious and overwhelmed; thoughts aren't even thoughts anymore and reality is reduced to the alpha he wants to please. Nothing outside of this shower exists as far as he's concerned, and Eren is so much more than okay with that. 

He doesn't want the alpha to feel like he needs to hold back however, and that's why he lets the hot flesh slip out of his mouth for a moment. It's only when he has his mouth free that the omega notices how ragged his breathing truly is, and the way he sucks in air resembles an asthmatic child after a particularly bad attack. 

Although his cheeks are already burning with the embarrassment of what he's about to say, he doesn't let that feeling win and, meeting Levi's gaze from down below, takes one last breath before attempting to speak. 

"You're holding back," he says, with a messy and breathless voice. 

At first it looks like Levi doesn't understand what he's saying, his eyes filled with large pupils that don't seem to be entirely focused. 

"I don't want to hurt you," the raven says then, and just hearing his voice sends a shiver down his spine and most likely has slick dampening his entrance even more. Once again, the water makes it hard for the boy to really judge that, but going by the feeling of heat and tightness in his lower regions, he's probably dripping wet. 

"I don't mind at all," the boy says, distracted and unable to keep his hands off the dick that's so painfully hard that he truly cannot help thinking about what that might feel like inside him. He gives the man a few slow and lazy strokes, and tries to burn the image of Levi's lips falling open in a silent curse into his mind. 

"You don't know what you're saying," the alpha tells him and maybe Eren imagines it, but the words seem to hold somewhat of a challenge. Whether imagined or not, his initial instinct is to proof the man otherwise. 

"I know exactly what I'm saying," he affirms, his hold on the wet piece of flesh tightening a little, "Or do you need me to spell it out for you, alpha?" 

The question is followed by a mixture of puppy eyes and sin, and Eren can tell that something as simple as a look like this apparently affects the raven greatly. 

"Spell it out for me then, Eren," comes the answer in a low voice, an almost whispered command that holds the power of a thousand screams. 

It has Eren swallowing, and keeping up the eye contact demands all of his will power as he tries not to stutter or choke on the sinful words that are about to leave his mouth.

"You can fuck my mouth if you want to. I'm not made of glass and you're not going to break me, so stop holding back." 

Although the look that he gets for the words definitely makes the bravery worth it. Levi's scent is like something between an opiate and five pills of ecstasy; it's all too intense, too much and too damn animalistic and Eren finds himself loving every second of this. 

Of all the answers he expected in response to that statement, he definitely was not expecting this. Not the harsh tightening of the fingers on his hair, and not the sudden feeling of choking that is the inevitable result of having Levi's cock pressed almost all the way into his mouth. 

His turquoise eyes fall closed, and Eren does his best to just breathe and not start gagging, but it isn't half as simple as expected. 

Now that he's given the man permission, it seems as though the alpha really does have no intention at all of holding back anymore. Eren can taste him, he can feel the other manhandling him, and there's only half a moment to take in the situation before Levi really does make use of Eren's mouth. He thrusts his hips forward with a force that makes has Eren realising just how much the alpha really wants this. Waited for it, perhaps. 

And that means that Eren wants this as well. Although he's still very overwhelmed; tears are definitely running down his cheeks now from holding his urge to gag back, and yet he feels like his inner omega waited for something like this despite that. This display of power, strength and desire coupled with the pheromones in the air is everything he could have imagined, and it's Levi. 

It's Levi, and that's the one thing that turns this experience into something incredible.

It all happens so fast then, like a movie scene where one thing just follows another and then all blurs into one fast paced experience, a mix of different impressions and endorphins. 

Perhaps his brain is suffering from the back and forth movements, but Eren finds himself thinking about how much he wants the man to be his mate, and this time not even a part of him seems to disagree with the idea at all. There's no thoughts in the back of his mind, no flashbacks or painful feelings. 

Just Levi, giving him the most appraising and yet faraway look that Eren could ever imagine to see on the alpha's face. 

...  
"Or do you need me to spell it out for you, alpha?" 

That particular question is definitely the last straw and although Levi almost feels like indeed asking Eren to spell things out for him, that would take up time. Time that he doesn't currently have because it feels like each and every second of waiting is pure torture. 

Although he cannot deny that the words excite him to no end, the image of those pink lips wrapped around his erection is still clear as day in his mind, and Levi's hormones are going crazy thanks to that, leaving him with as good as no more patience. 

He didn't see this actually happening.

Levi never expected Eren to just get on his knees like that out of nowhere and suck his dick like he isn't usually embarrassed by even small comments or even scent marking. But the omega has impressed him once more, and the boy seems unable to do pretty much anything except for letting his heavy eyes focus on the erection and then Levi's eyes again. 

Each one of those looks is fucking deadly, leaving him with almost heart attacks and even more of a desire to pound into the warmth that is his mouth. Maybe Eren isn't aware of the things he is doing to Levi, all messy and sweet scented and staring up at him. Even now that he doesn't have Levi's dick in his mouth, the omega cannot keep himself from stroking him slowly as if Eren needs this as much as Levi.

Instead of just acting on his desire, the raven tortures himself, hypnotised by the sight of the brunette, "Spell it out for me then, Eren." 

Even his voice doesn't sound like his own anymore, breathless and quiet and like the voice of a starved man. 

"You can fuck my mouth if you want to. I'm not made of glass and you're not going to break me," the omega replies and the only thought Levi's brain can really process in that very moment is something along the lines of 'fucking hell' before he finds himself making use of the permission he was just given. 

 

He grabs Eren's head, and at a speed that is perhaps too rough guides him exactly where he wants him, moaning loudly and cursing when the warmth surrounds him.

Eren looks beautiful with water running down his skin and his eyes tightly shut as Levi's dick disappears between his lips yet again. 

This time, like the boy commanded, Levi isn't gentle with him. On the contrary, his movements become rougher and rougher, and he continues to stare as he first pushes the boy's head back and forth along with his thrusts. Eren's scent is making him go insane and it seems the more Levi is manhandling him, the sweeter it gets in response. At this point, there's no need for shampoo or anything because the entire room probably smells like apples and cinnamon by now. And sex, too. 

The raven cannot help but let himself sink into those oceans of eyes, and he eventually holds Eren's body in place, keeping him still and moving only his hips, but with a speed that betrays his arousal.

The sounds coupled with what he's seeing are driving the raven closer and closer to the edge, and he cannot help but notice how destroyed Eren looks by now, with tears running down his cheeks and all of his face flushed. 

"You're so good," he finds himself saying to Eren, the words broken and in between heavy breaths. Perhaps it's an alpha thing, wanting to reassure his mate. He's in love with every single feeling the boy is giving him, and he wants the omega to know how great he is at this. 

Eren becomes more enthusiastic in response, trying his best to use his tongue and lips to make this even better for the alpha, and although Levi didn't think it was possible, he manages to achieve just that. 

With a few final and harsh thrusts he finds himself coming closer and closer and suddenly the whole world falls apart around the alpha as his orgasm approaches him. The look he gives Eren undoubtedly informs the boy of what is about to happen. And then pleasure rushes through Levi's body, and he fills the boy's mouth or maybe entire throat up, causing the omega to cough beneath him as endorphins flood his system. Eren keeps licking his way up and down however even when Levi stops moving, and only after a few seconds is Levi able to open his eyes. 

The sight is priceless, erotic and beautiful all at once. The wrecked looking omega is licking every last drop of cum that he hasn't swallowed off his skin, breathing loudly and coughing between less and less coordinated movements. His movements instead seem almost instinct driven, and only when Levi grabs his fringe to make the brunette look up as him does Eren seem to realise that he is still doing this. 

His pupils are so big that his eyes almost appear black, and his brown hair is soaked, glued to the tanned face. Levi wants to photograph him, or to paint him in oil. Anything to make sure that he remembers this particular look on Eren's face. 

Despite how messy things got and the redness in his eyes and swollen lips, (or maybe precisely because of all of that) the boy looks divine. 

And before either of them can say a word, some kind of magnetism pulls Levi down to him. His lips are on the omega's in just a second and apparently Eren wasn't expecting this because he lets out a surprised gasp, the noise disappearing into Levi's mouth. 

With water still beating down on the two of them, Levi makes it his own personal goal to devour the boy like an expensive meal. To discover all of him, taste him and make him feel good - all of that goes into that one kiss. He tastes himself on Eren's lips, and there's something incredibly satisfying about it. 

As though it's the final proof that Eren is Levi's. 

After a short while, it becomes apparent that Eren still doesn't have much air in his lungs and that's when Levi pulls away and grants him some time to respire and catch his breath. The brunette in turn does just that, while Levi cannot help but look at him with fascination and quite a bit of possessiveness. There's a hint of fear, too, because Levi definitely lost his self control for a bit there.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" 

Blue and green eyes open in wonder, like a curtain revealing the scene of a play, and Levi's own breath gets stuck in his chest. Eren's gaze seems to have a bit of every emotion in the world in it, and coupled with the worn out smile on his bruised lips, the omega makes Levi feel a bit speechless. 

"Not going to lie, my lips hurt a bit. And so does my throat," he stops, as if to consider, touching his lips with his fingers. "But I kind of like that." 

The bashful smile that accompanies the statement is too much, and that's what Levi gets for worrying. An even more messed up mind that instantly goes wild with the idea of Eren 'kind of' being into pain.

"Are you telling me you're a masochist?" he can't help but tease, and the words do their job, strengthening the flushed color of his face. Or maybe it's the water; in fact, Levi cannot say for sure how long that has been running by now, and it must have been a while because it's already getting colder. The water only adds to Eren's attractiveness, but Levi feels a bit distressed thinking about the fact that the omega might get cold. 

Time sure does fly when surprises like this happen. 

"Uh, maybe a little bit? I don't know," Eren says, but his tone completely betrays him and so does the goofy grin that accompanies the words. Levi files it under 'useful information for the future', and gives the boy the smallest of the smiles. 

Pulling the brunette up easy, but apparently Eren doesn't yet have it in him to stand properly, so Levi holds him up to his chest, deliberately messing with the omega and leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"I'd tell you to use soap but honestly I think you smell delectable like this, my scent all mixed up with yours." 

That earns him a gasp and a rush of content smelling pheromones, so apparently Eren takes it for the compliment it is. 

"Let's get out of here and put you into bed," the raven says and turns the water off, grabbing one of the big towels and wrapping it around Eren like someone would wrap up a precious gift. 

"But it's not that late yet," the brunette says, sounding so childish that Levi cannot help but give a short laugh at the way Eren goes from sucking his dick to pouting about being sent to bed early in such a short matter of time.

"Who says I'm taking you there to sleep?" he asks and it takes about one second until realisation paints the boys face, and his pupils dilate in response to the alpha's words.

"I sure hope you aren't."


End file.
